817657320
by The Gabby Effect
Summary: Abby's life is changed by one dark moment, by news she wasn't prepared for and by one haunting stranger.
1. Chapter 1

***WARNING: Tissues maybe required.***

**"It's a change from the kind Fics I usually write but I had to write this." - TGE**

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**817657320**

The events that had led up to this final moment were events that they never expected to ever happen not even to them. He was a rebel and everyone knew it so breaking rules to solve a case wasn't a shock but the day he broke his own rules to finally admit to himself that he loved her was a shock to her.

It was snowing the first night he came over and when she answered her door she wasn't greeted by his usual silence but was shocked when he captured her lips with his own declaring that he loved her all along in that single kiss that broke down every wall that they had built around their insecure hearts. It didn't take long for them to catch up on all those times that could have been but never was. He made love to her in a way that she only ever dreamed of and she loved him back like he had never been loved before. They loved each other in every moment as if it was going to be the last and little did they know that their last time together was only a few months into their secret affair.

They didn't tell anyone about their relationship and no one notice that their relationship had changed; to their friends it was just the way things always were. The days, nights, hours and minutes that they cherished had now run its course and without warning their lives were changed in away that they weren't prepared for. It was as if they only loved each other for a moment and in a one decision everything had changed.

* * *

She was in her lab with music blasting while the object in her hand felt like it was burning her flesh. This morning when she woke up with him in her bed he laid that object on the pillow between them and his words still echoed in her mind.

_'You can take all the time you need or ask your heart if it's ready, do anything, but just don't say… no.'_

Taking a deep breath she put the object in her pocket because she couldn't make herself look at it. She loved him for years but now that he loved her back she wasn't sure if they were rushing into things because they had waited so long to finally be together.

It was nearly a year since they had made their relationship official but no one knew about them and if she gave him the answer that she already knew she didn't know how that would change things at work for them. Would their friends be happy for them or would they think that they were all wrong for each other? She loved him enough that no matter what people would say she wasn't going to stop loving him because the only person that was right for her was him.

After a day of thinking and re-thinking she concluded that they would need to tell their friends about their relationship and then _only_ then she would give him the answer that he needed. That day was just like any other day but when she came to his house to tell him that they needed to tell their friends about them that's when Director Vance also stopped by.

_'I need to send my best agent who knows how to handle this situation… I need a marine.' _

Were the words that haunted her that night and just like she knew he would he accepted that mission and swore that they would talk when he returned. He will always be a marine… one of the best and she had accepted that a long time ago but watching him leave without even kissing him goodbye is what would kill her from that moment on.

* * *

**The Middle East… (5 days later)**

It had been a week since his boots hit the desert and far too long to be without her but he needed to complete this mission but he wasn't expecting that his prey was also hunting him and that he had done his research on the gunny.

His back pressed against the wall he loaded his final clip that only had two bullets left into the gun while looking at the marine he had started this mission with lay only feet from him with his life gone from his body.

"Agent Gibbs… I knew Leon would send you!" The man at the end of the hall yelled out.

Looking around he knew there was no way out but facing the man he was sent here to kill.

The man began to yell again. "So does Leon know you're sleeping with his forensic scientist, Abby right?!"

Gibbs shut his eyes as if he was shot through his heart while Director Vance heard that last statement through the headset the agent was wearing.

"Gibbs?" Vance asked but as usual he got no reply.

Sitting on the ground as the fully armed man yelled again while Gibbs could do nothing but listen.

"I have to admit Agent Gibbs she's something… She must be special, that you take her to that cabin in the woods!" He laughed.

"Leon…" Gibbs whispered half afraid that this man knew so much and half pissed that he knew so much.

The Director was taken back by how much this man knew even about the things he didn't even know about his own agent.

"Gibbs, can you get out?" Vance asked.

Gibbs slightly shook his head. "I have two choices." He whispered back.

"What are they?" Vance asked.

Taking a deep breath he replied. "Die running away or die facing this bastard."

The Director stood silent until he covered the headset that he was wearing and yelled at the man sitting to the computer in MTAC.

"WHERE THE HELL IS MY BACK UP AND WHY CAN'T I GET VISUAL ON HIM!"

The young man typed away and informed his boss. "Can't get a strong feed for visual and back up's ETA is…" He trailed off.

"IS WHAT?!" Vance screamed.

"… One hour, fifteen minutes out, sir." He said quietly.

Knowing his options were limited and time running out for agent Vance stood silent.

The bullets flew by Gibbs while the man at the end of the hall laughed.

"You know how this is gonna end gunny! This is where you're life ends and the sad part is no one will miss you… not even that girl back home!" He yelled.

He tired not to listen but it was hard to do that in this empty building because his words echoed around the gunny mocking him.

"What's going on L.J.?" Vance finally managed to speak.

"2 bullets left… can't move." He took a deep breath as he looked down at his side where the blood was seeping through his clothes. He had been stabbed when he and the marine who lay lifeless had infiltrated this building. "Only one way out…" He reported.

Vance weighed his options either authorize the missile strike now or give Gibbs a fighting chance.

"You're call, Director." Gibbs told his boss.

He couldn't sacrifice his agents' life even if it meant taking out the target that he wanted dead. "Gibbs I chose you because I want the job done right because you're a marine… a damn good one."

"I think, I'm overrated." Gibbs replied.

Leon shook his head. "You get out of this you hear me?" He told the gunny.

"You gonna fight me like a marine or are you gonna sit there like a coward and wait for your death!" The man yelled as he made his way down the hallway. "You've come this far, killed all my men now it's just you me!"

Knowing he was all out of options he slid up the wall standing to his feet. "If I don't get out of this, Leon…"

"You will." Vance assured him.

He knew he was out gunned and his chances of making it out alive were slim. "If I don't make it out I need you to do something for me…" Gibbs said quietly.

Vance only let out an audible breath.

"We were gonna tell you first then everyone else…" Gibbs said quietly while Vance could do nothing but listen. "Leon… tell her…" Shutting his eyes he felt his heart race knowing he wasn't going home at least not the way he had promised her "…tell her I was thinking about her."

Vance looked to the floor.

"Tell her I love watching her sleep even though she snores, sometimes." Gibbs smiled.

Vance smiled.

"Hell, tell her I don't care if she said 'no' just as long as I can hear her voice… one more time. Make sure she gets my dog tags... she always wanted them." The gunny spoke softly while the tears that filled his eyes made it real for him. The realization that he probably won't ever hear her voice again or ever see her happy that she was wearing his dog tags overwhelmed him.

"You come home marine; you tell her that yourself." Leon told his friend.

The bullets start to fly by once again as Gibbs holstered his gun and blindly reached for the grenade that was clipped to his vest. Taking a deep breath he pulled the pin and gripped it as he prepared himself for what he was about to do; as his other hand pulled the knife from his belt. The man he was sent here to kill was a risk and he knew to much to about him that he couldn't risk it if he lived another day. This wasn't supposed to be how it ended, half way around the world far from his friends, family and without her. He remembered how it felt to be held by her as his breath shuddered as he thought that would have been a perfect place to die, in her arms… looking into her eyes as he took his final breath, it wasn't suppose end like this.

One last breath and with a final thought about the girl back home, he whispered. "I love you…"

Leon stood in silence a he listened to the three little words that Abby would never hear, again.

Helpless, he listened to the sound of a scuffle followed by a few shots and something that he wasn't expecting… an explosion. For a long while he waited for a response any response but nothing.

"Gibbs?" Vance said though he knew a response wouldn't come.

"Dammit gunny, say something" He said as the realization sunk in that there wasn't going to be an answer.

Director Vance said nothing more.

The young man seated a few feet from him spoke. "Back up should be there in an hour if he's hurt they'll bring him home…" He assured his silent boss.

Without saying a word Leon took off the headset and left to make a few calls before he completely would loose all hope.

* * *

He paced in his office while Dr. Mallard stood at the end of the table waiting for news just like him.

"Director, I'm sure he's okay." Ducky said quietly as he too was unsure of his own words.

Taking a deep breath Leon stopped in his tracks. "Where's Abby?" He asked.

"Uh- she's at Jethro's with Tony and McGee said they were going to watch some movies." Ducky explained silently. "Do you want to call them, Leon?" He asked.

Leon shook his head as he asked. "What do you know about Gibbs and Abby?"

"They're very close, you know that Director." The ME told him.

"What's their relationship like?" Leon asked.

"Relationship? Leon, they're good friends I think we all know that." Dr. Mallard said unaware of what Leon knew.

"They were… seeing, each other." Vance said quietly.

Ducky looked at the distraught man next to him. "Seeing each other as in…" His words trailed off.

The Director only looked at the doctor.

Connecting the dots Dr. Mallard couldn't say a single word until the silence in the room was broken by the phone ringing on Vance's desk. Both stood terrified of what news awaited them until Leon slowly made his way to his desk. Ducky walked over to Vance seeing him write something down on the blank sheet of paper that lay before him.

Vance took a deep breath as he heard the question he never wanted hear.

_'Do you have the address for next of kin?'_

Ducky shut his eyes as Vance hesitantly gave the man on the line Gibbs home address.

* * *

**Gibbs house…**

"No, he's going to love it." Tony smiled he held up the little boat that hung onto Gibbs car key chain.

"I saw it and I thought about him." Abby smiled as took the keys back from Tony.

"It's not fair that you get to drive boss-man's car… you suck." Tony said as he sat in the passenger side of the car.

"Even I wouldn't let you drive my car." Abby teased peeking in while Tony looked around the muscle car.

She was still smiling when the sound of doors shutting behind her caused her to turn around. Her smile was bright as if it was Gibbs that made her smile but that bright smile melted from her as the Marines in uniform came walking up the drive way.

"Tony…" Her voice cracked while the Marines stopped only feet away from her.

He got out of the car and was going to speak but the sight of the Marines standing in front of his friend shocked him while his usual racing mind came to a gut wrenching halt.

"…no" She breathed as her life seem to end the moment their hands began to lift in a salute.

A salute was a gesture of respect but in this dark moment it signified the end of not only life but the end of everything that she only had for a moment. Their hands rose to their heads without showing any emotion not even when she screamed as her heart broke and the life she had with him ended. The tears blurred the marines from her sight as she lost all strength to stand on her own.

Grabbing her, Tony fell with her to the ground as he went deaf no longer able to hear the painful scream coming from his dear friend. His breath shuddering he clung to her because he was also falling apart. Her tears burned down her face as the love she once had with the marine that wasn't going to come home to her died within her breaking heart.

His own tears streamed down his face as he held onto her tightly while they fell to pieces in this unreal moment.

McGee rushed out but was also stopped dead in his tracks seeing the scene that was unfolding outside. Unable to move at all he stood by the door way watching the marines that came to show their respects to the girl who was in pieces on the ground. His eyes filled with tears hearing her cry and scream for the marine that won't be coming home.

Across the city Dr. Mallard sat to his desk as his own tears slowly streamed down his face. Shuddering from his silent cry he wept not only for the man he loved like his own son but for the girl who had also loved that man.

After this day nothing would ever be the same not for the agency, not for them and not for her.

As everyone's world fell to pieces around them Director Vance stood quietly looking out the window in his office. Eyes red from the tears that filled them he looked beyond the world that was outside as he replayed that final moment that happened hours ago. He mourned in silence as he held the blank sheet of paper that he had written those numbers down on, those numbers would always be linked to that fallen marine but it would forever link the lives that were left behind.

**817657320.**

TBC...

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**~*Drop A Review - I'll Drop A Chapter.*~**

**Next Chapter: "The Folded Flag"**

"It's dark, I know I'm sorry."

- The Gabby Effect -


	2. The Folded Flag

***Warning: ... yeah it's one of those, again.***

**"Thanks for the reviews and F/F this FF." - TGE**

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**The Folded Flag…**

The house was empty like some empty bottle of tequila lying on the floor of a broken hearted lover who had given up on love. This house was no stranger to this kind of emptiness; it even remembered this kind of heart ache, even heard a silent cry like this before. This house was where he fell to pieces many years ago, it was here in this room that he destroyed everything in it and drunkenly stumbled out with a gun in his hand, swearing that he would end the pain.

These walls were witness to tragedy even to love but in this moment it was witness to a love cut painfully short, that she had hoped would have lasted forever. In this deafening silence her tears fell as she lay alone on the couch where so many times she woke up tangled up with him. Where they laughed, where they shared their secrets and where they made love. Her body shuddered at the painful thoughts that were now, only memories; memories of what was and memories of what would never be again.

Her friends had gone leaving her, though it was hard to leave her but they knew she needed to be alone even though the loneliness was killing her. They tore themselves away from her as they left knowing it wasn't their company that she cried for, no, it was for his.

Among those who left was Dr. Mallard, he knew something about her that no one else besides the Director of NCIS knew. Before he left he held her a little tighter and a little longer understanding but never knowing just how much she was hurting. His embrace wasn't enough to stop the tears that filled her eyes but for a moment it was enough.

Her hands clinched the dog tags in her hand, shutting her eyes as the tears fell while her mind took her back to the memory of the last time she held these dog tags.

_Her hands gripped the tags that hung around his neck as he laughed into her neck that sent shivers through her body. Giggling she wrapped her legs around his waist feeling the texture of the jeans that he was wearing and feeling the warmth emanate from his body. There was no place that she would rather be right now, no other person that she would rather be with than the gunny that lay here with her. _

She couldn't remember what it was that he was laughing about or what happened after that because the single thought about him brought back those silent tears that prevented her from thinking at all.

Alone she lay here as the tragedy of losing him only left her with pain that was unbearable and no amount of screaming or crying would ever ease that pain.

There were countless salutes since that moment in the drive way just outside where she was laying. So many times she heard _'I'm sorry'_ whispered to her but those who whispered those words couldn't possibly imagine just how sorry she was. Sorry that she didn't hold him tighter, longer, kissed him goodbye and sorry that she didn't give him the answer that he wanted.

Her breath shuddering she let go of the dog tags dropping it on the folded flag that lay next to her along with a object that killed her every time she held it. Through the tears she looked at that ring, that simple ring that reminded her of him. This wasn't a ring a prince would give his princess; no… this was a ring that a gunny would give his girl. A slight hint of a grin tugged on her lips as her fingers touched the object that she promised herself that she would never wear as she thought about the way he proposed if it was even called that. He didn't get down on one knee, declare his love or dress up in his marine uniform… no, he did it just the way she knew he would if he ever did. This is what _he_ gave _her_, no one else but her and here she lay with this simple ring and an answer that he would never hear.

The tears burning and her heart dying within her chest she whispered the word that she regretted not saying that morning he gave that simple ring to her.

"Yes…" Her voice shook.

Grabbing the dog tags that were imprinted with those numbers _817657320_ and the ring she would never wear, she gripped it tight until the pain of holding so tight surged through her hand as she screamed lying on the couch in his house. No one was there to tell her _'everything was going to be alright'_, no one was there to hold her as she continued to fall apart and there was no one there but the folded flag to hear the answer he would never hear.

TBC...

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**~*Drop A Review - I'll Drop A Chapter.*~**

**Next Chapter: "Ever the same..."**

"See the vid I made for this FF using the song that inspired this FF on my YouTube channel.  
You can find me under the same username."

_-The Gabby Effect-_


	3. Ever The Same

***Thanks for the reviews and sorry that it was so dark. This is story that was inspired by a song and this FFinspired a video, thanks for watching. So, since you drop a review I'm dropping a chapter.* TGE**

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**Ever the same...**

It had been a two weeks since their world had crumbled around them and today still they found themselves in the aftermath of picking up the pieces.

Tony sat at his desk looking across at the empty desk in the squad room, it wasn't the first time a desk was empty but still this desk haunted him. McGee watched the older agent lost in thought while he couldn't look at that vacant desk at all. Tony smiled shaking his head free of the countless memories that now surged his mind.

"What?" McGee asked quietly.

Tony chuckled. "Never thought I would miss getting a head slap" He said as he got up from his desk.

Tim smiled. "I miss seeing those." He thought to himself.

Walking over to Tim, Tony looked around then up to MTAC. "What do you know?" He asked.

"About?" McGee replied confused.

"You know… how things went down." Tony whispered.

"You read the report." He told his friend.

Tony slightly shook his head. "It just… didn't… fit."

"The Marine Corps are really good at sharing information about… things like that. Tony, I didn't want to believe it too, but I mean it's something we never expected so I'm sure that's why you're questioning it." Tim told him.

Taking a deep breath Tony looked at the young agent. "Have you talked to the Director yet?" He asked.

"No, not since he gave us the report." He said.

"Yeah…" Tony breathed. "He hasn't said anything about, anything."

Tim looked at the black screen of his monitor. "So, did… Abby read the report?" He asked.

Tony shook his head. "No, I don't think she can… it took me half a bottle of Jack to read it."

McGee quietly looked up at his friend.

"I read that report drunk and I had to stop a few times to…" He trailed off as he took a deep breath. "You know McGee it wasn't supposed to end like that, not for him." He told his friend.

"Probably not…" Tim replied.

"He was suppose find some beach, maybe in Mexico and be my Mike Franks…" He chuckled. "Not like that, not alone…" Tony said quietly.

McGee finally managed to look at the desk across his. "I don't know what to say to Abby, I can't even make myself hold her." He admitted to his friend.

"Gibbs and…" It felt weird saying his name, Tony thought as he slowly continued. "_He_ and Abby have history I think everyone knows that; that's why it's so hard to talk to her because we're afraid we might say something that could hurt her."

"I can't even say his name around her, it's like I make her remember and I don't want to hurt her." Tim told him.

"She's back at work today." Tony said softly.

"Yeah, I saw her car." McGee replied.

"You see her yet?" He asked.

McGee shook his head. "Can't…"

"I can't ignore her forever I'm going to head down there." Tony said as he headed for the rear elevator.

Tim sat quietly as his sight focused on the empty desk across him that seemed like it was staring back at him.

* * *

**Abby's Lab…**

There was no music to greet him when the elevator doors slid opened; there wasn't even a happy Abby greeting from her when he came walking through the door.

The sound of the elevator doors made her breath shudder because it reminded her of the visitor that usually came walking through right about now, with her Caf-Pow in his hand. Quietly, she typed while trying to focus back on what she was doing.

"Hey Abby" Tony greeted her trying to sound as normal as he could.

"Hey Tony" She said quietly.

"Whatcha, working on?" He asked standing next to her.

She tried to smile but she forgot how. "Things…" She whispered.

He looked at her feeling the painful emotions that she held in. "Abbs" He said quietly.

"What?" Her voice broke.

He couldn't say single word hearing the pain in her voice.

Taking a deep shaky breath she stopped typing and tried to keep from crying.

"Tony, I'm sorry. I thought I was ready to come back only because my apartment was too quiet and everything just reminded me of…" She couldn't say his name.

"Abby you don't have to be sorry." He told her softly.

"I wanted to be here to get back to normal, to get back to the way things were… but that's not going to happen." She said looking at him with the tears that filled her eyes.

He couldn't look at her so he looked to the floor instead.

"I left my apartment, I drove here and I looked for his car." She said as the tears fell. "I got out of my car walked up to the building looking, hoping to see him buying his usual coffee and walk me in. I walked in and I saw everyone who always said 'hi' to him… only this time they didn't say anything, they just looked at me with that look everyone gives me." She told him.

Tony swallowed the lump in his throat. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"I love you Tony… I really do, but don't say that. I'm so sick of hearing those words. They shred my heart and it kills me every time I hear them. I've died so many times since he, since he…" She began to cry.

Tony didn't know what to say but he wrapped his arms around her as she cried.

"I miss you…" She cried as she clinched Tony's sleeve.

Tony held her hearing the words that weren't meant for him.

Normal was never going to be same and that's what hurt her and knowing that she couldn't do a thing about it killed her. How long would she hurt this much, she didn't know, for all she knew this misery was going to be the death of her at least then she wouldn't hurt anymore.

* * *

McGee walked into the Directors office to see him standing looking out the window.

"Did you ask to see me, Director?" He asked his boss.

Turning around he looked at his young agent. "Take a seat." He said gesturing to sit to the table in the room.

Quietly he sat down to the table while the Director walked over and sat down next to him.

"Tim, I need your help." He told him.

"Anything, sir." McGee said.

"Can you make a recording play just once and have it deleted after playing where it won't be recovered, _even_ by you?" Vance asked.

"I'm going to have to-"

Vance held up his hand making him stop. "Can it be done?"

"Yes" Tim replied.

The Director set down a flash drive between them. "You are to work on this in my presence what you hear you don't repeat… not to anyone." He told McGee.

McGee nodded.

* * *

**4 hours later…**

She was entering the elevator when Director Vance walked in behind her. He never spoke to her, never said those words that killed her and he wasn't even at the ceremony where she was presented with that folded flag.

He never wanted to talk to her or even see her but eventually he knew their paths would cross. The guilt inside him was killing him just like the loneliness was killing her. He was responsible for his agents' life and perhaps not his death but it sure as hell felt like it, to him.

The elevator doors sounded so loud as they shut enclosing them in the space inside. He reached over and flicked the switch like someone they once knew.

"Abby…" He said quietly. "I know you probably hate me for sending him." He told her because he hated himself for doing that.

She didn't say anything as she kept her eyes to the floor.

"There isn't anything that I could say that would make you feel better. Nothing that I can do to take back the decision that I made, I can't even look you." He said facing the doors.

Her breath shuddered.

"I couldn't go, I hope you understand that… I couldn't be there knowing that it was my fault." He told her as he thought about the ceremony that he did not attend.

She shut her eyes as the tears began to burn.

"No one was hurt more by this than you. No one can ever make you feel better I know that, because we don't know what to say, what to do and because we aren't enough to fill that void in your heart." He told her as he finally managed to face her.

Seeing the tears that pooled in her eyes he handed her a flash drive.

"I know why you hurt so much Abby… there was something he wanted me to tell you, but I just don't have the heart to say it." He told her.

Taking the flash drive she looked at Leon.

"Abby, this will play just once, just once because it scares me to know what it would do to you, if you heard it more than once." He whispered as he flicked the switch.

* * *

McGee sat quietly in his car his eyes fixated on the steering wheel. What he heard he would never forget and he would never tell a single soul not even her. Today he had found out why Abby was so torn apart and why she never let go of those dog tags when that folded flag sat on her lap. Not in a million years did he ever think he would know what he knew now, that Gibbs had loved Abby in a way only real lovers did. A phrase haunted Tim as he sat in the silence.

_'I don't care if she said 'no'…' _

He knew what he meant when he heard those words and that's what made it worse for him. He had asked her to marry him and Abby didn't even give him an answer, Tim wondered why.

* * *

**Abby's Apartment…**

She sat on her bed with her laptop while that 'play' button stared at her as it seemed to ask her,

_'Are you ready'_?

Taking the dog tags she hung it around her neck as the ring she would never wear hung on the necklace with them. Taking a deep breath she held the black stuffed Yoshi tight in her arms. The feeling of this stuffed toy pressed against her she remembered how she got it.

_"Please, Gibbs!" She begged him while she tugged him to the shooting game._

_He chuckled as she pointed at the black dinosaur that hung from the beam._

_"That one gunny, I want that one." She demanded._

_"$5 a shot or $20 for 6" The man behind the counter told them._

_"I only need one shot." Gibbs replied handing over a five dollar bill. _

_"Feeling confident aren't we gunny?" She teased._

_"It's only five yards away I've hit targets over a mile away." He told her as he picked the gun up from the counter._

_Taking a seat he aimed down the sights to the target that he could've hit with his eyes closed. Exhaling he was ready to shoot but she leaned in and licked his ear. Firing he missed the shot completely as he laughed. _

_"Are you sure you're a sniper, gunny?" She teased him._

_Laughing he looked at her. "You want the dinosaur or not?" He asked. _

_"Yes, I do." She told him as she leaned in placing a kiss on his lips. "Now, hit your target gunny." _

_Smirking he handed over another bill. _

_This time he hit the target as she happily took the Yoshi from the man behind the counter. _

_"I love it thanks, gunny." She said hugging her stuffed toy._

_"I hope you love me more." He told her._

_"Always." She replied as she wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him._

A smile hinting on her lips she hugged her Yoshi tight and kissed it as she leaned over and clicked 'play'.

The sound of nothing terrified her because she was scared for what she was about to hear.

_"Gibbs, can you get out?" _She heard Vance say.

_"I have two choices." _That familiar voice whispered.

_"What are they?"_ The Director asked.

She heard Gibbs take deep breath that made her shut her eyes.

_"Die running away or die facing this bastard."_

There was a silence that haunted her afterward not knowing that McGee had removed some dialogue that the Director had requested to be left out.

_"What's going on L.J.?"_ She heard Vance say.

_"2 bullets left… can't move."_ Those words made her catch her breath. _"Only one way out…" _Was a phrase she instantly hated.

A silence an then she heard him talk again.

_"You're call, Director." _

_"Gibbs I chose you because I want the job done right because you're a marine… a damn good one."_ Vance told Gibbs.

_"I think, I'm overrated."_ Gibbs replied.

_"You get out of this you hear me?"_ Leon's words made her feel that familiar lump in her throat.

It was quiet for a while and then she heard Gibbs break the silence.

_"If I don't get out of this, Leon…" _

Her eyes burned with tears as she gripped that stuffed toy in her arms.

_"You will." _

_"If I don't make it out I need you to do something for me…"_ She listened to that voice.

She heard Vance breathe.

_"We were gonna tell you first then everyone else…"_

She opened her eyes.

_"Leon… tell her…"_

She heard the fear in his voice.

_"…tell her I was thinking about her."_

She sniffed back the tears as she began to cry.

_"Tell her I love watching her sleep even though she snores, sometimes."_

She laughed through her tears. "You liar" Her voice cracked.

_"Hell, tell her I don't care if she said 'no' just as long as I can hear her voice… one more time. Make sure she gets my dog tags... she always wanted them."_

Her breath shuddering as she cried while she gripped the tags that now hung around her neck, the same tags that hung around his.

_"You come home marine; you tell her that yourself."_

There was a long pause that made her cries sound so loud in her room that's when she heard it.

_"I love you…"_

Crying she held the stuffed toy clutching it to her chest along with the tags and the ring as those last whispered words shot her through her already broken heart. There wasn't anything else after that and for a long time she waited wanting to hear something more but… nothing. Those were his final words, out everything to say before his life ended he whispered those words for her, half way around the world and with his girl on his mind.

"I love you…." She whispered.

Her tears falling she looked at the stuffed animal he had won for her as she forced a smile.

"I will always love you."

In her room she held onto the things that reminded her of him and hoped she would never forget every moment that she shared with him. She held onto the memories that she only had with him for a little while because she was going to live a life alone in a world were nothing was

ever the same.

**TBC…**

* * *

**~*Drop A Review - I'll Drop A Chapter.*~**

**Next Chapter: "Worth Living For"**

"I hope you liked this chapter."

-The Gabby Effect-


	4. Worth living for

***Thanks for your reviews so as promised here is another chapter* **

**AUTHORS NOTE: **_When I first thought about this FF there was two chapters that I wrote. The first was this one and the second one is a ways off but the fun is getting to that second chapter. I hope you enjoy this and sorry for all tears but these bunnies are hard to ignore. Some of you will probably stop reading after this but for the rest of you there's more to come. - TGE_

* * *

**Worth living for**

It was one month to the day as she shut her eyes feeling the razor pressed hard against her wrist while the tears streamed down her face. Her breath shuddering she convinced herself that it would only hurt for a little while, then she would just wait… wait for that lonely escape, alone in this room.

The memories hurt too much, almost as much as being alone. Opening her eyes she saw herself in the mirror. Her hand trembled as she saw what losing him had done to her, she was preparing herself to end it all. Sniffing back the tears she let go of the blade and heard the sound that it made as it fell into the sink. Crying she stumbled back until she bumped into her cold bathroom wall and slid down it until she sat cradling her head as the screams echoed in her apartment.

She was tired of all the looks, tired of waking up everyday to only cry herself to sleep at night again. She lied to herself insisting that he was going to come walking through her door tomorrow, convinced herself that she was going to wake up soon but day after tearful day it never happened.

"You promised me… that you were going to come home." She cried.

Lifting her head she leaned against the wall as her body shook from the cries as she knew she couldn't go on like this anymore. Her music, all the things that made her happy even her job had lost all meaning and now there was nothing to keep her going. For awhile she thought she was going to be fine but each day she came home from work she was alone and in those lonely hours she couldn't do anything else but think. Think about the last time he made her laugh, made her smile and the last time she had woken up in his arms.

Taking a deep breath she looked out her bathroom door looking at her bed where she would wake up with him. Her mind went back to a time when all she wanted to do was live, live with him.

_Her head rested on the pillow while she tried to watch a movie from her bed but the kisses on her shoulder and neck was distracting her._

_"I'm trying to watch." She told him hoping he would stop._

_"Really what are you watching?" He asked her as he kissed her neck._

_She laughed. "I don't know" realizing she wasn't paying much attention to the movie after all. _

_"I love watching movies with you." He whispered._

_She rolled over facing him. "I thought you liked watching guy stuff with Tony." She told him._

_He smiled at her. "Yeah, but he doesn't let me kiss him like this." He teased her._

_She burst into laughter while shoving him away from her. _

_Laughing he pulled her back to him. _

_"STOP! I'm still watching my movie!" she screamed. _

_"What is it about?" He asked her as he pinned her to her bed. _

_Laughing she looked up into his blue eyes. "I have no clue" She giggled. _

_"We gotta watch more movies together." He told her as he leaned down capturing her lips. _

* * *

She ripped her thoughts away from the memories while she wiped the familiar tears from her face. Sitting there she was terrified to be alone, scared that those thoughts might enter her mind again and before she found herself wanting to end the pain she made herself get up.

Walking over to her phone she picked it up and grimaced at the name that was on top of her favorites list. For a while she looked at his name half wishing that she could just call and that he would pick up just so she could hear…

_"Hey Abbs" _

One more time, but instead she called the name that was next on the list.

"Hey Abby" Tony answered.

"Hey" her voice cracked.

Tony's heart sank hearing that she was crying.

"Can you uh- can you… come over?" She asked.

"I'll be right there." He said leaving his desk without saying a word.

* * *

Tony entered her apartment and was struck by how eerily quiet it was because there was times when he would show up and the music was blasting. Smiling he walked down the hallway a he thought about how Gibbs would have to raise his voice to make her turn down the music which resulting in her turning it up more.

Stopping outside her bedroom he looked in seeing her lying on her bed wearing his hoodie as it seem to hold her as her tears rolled down her cheek.

"Hey" He said quietly.

"Hey" She breathed as she wiped her tears for the millionth time.

He took of his coat and tossed it on the foot of the bed while lying down next to her. They didn't say anything as she rested her head on his shoulder. For nearly an hour they just laid there not saying a single word while her tears stopped falling and her body stopped shuddering from her cries.

He was her friend and knew her more than anyone else, at least now he did but there wasn't any words that he knew that would comfort her but maybe his presence would help her heal.

"Tony" She whispered.

"Hmm" He replied.

"Can I tell you something" She whispered.

"Yeah, you can tell me anything." He whispered back.

Taking a deep breath she prepared herself for what she was supposed to do with her gunny but now she had to do it alone.

"We were going to tell you when… when he – came home." She said quietly.

Tony looked over at her as she continued.

"I was… we were" She smiled. "We were seeing each other." She told him.

"You and who?" He asked looking at her.

She looked over at him with a smile, something he hadn't see on her in a long time.

"No…" He smiled back at her.

She giggled.

"No way" He said smiling even brighter.

"Yeah, it just kind of happened." She told him quietly.

"You mean you and…" He trailed off not sure if he could say his name around her without making her cry.

"Yup" She replied.

"Since when?" He asked her.

She smiled at the thought. "Since about four months ago." She whispered.

He smiled at her but suddenly he felt even worse for her, his smile fading he reached out and cupped her face, trying his hardest to not say those words that she hated.

"Abby" His whisper was barely audible.

Her eyes red from the tears she looked at him covering his hand with hers.

"It's okay" She told him, reading 'I'm sorry' that was written all over his face.

Unable to say a single word he leaned over placing a kiss on the top of her head.

She sniffed back the tears. "Tony, I'm telling you this because…" She took a deep shuddering breath as she reached for the tags that hung around her neck. " because of this." She whispered while placing the tags in his hand.

Holding the tags he looked at them then he saw what else was hanging on the necklace. His breath caught in his throat as his fingers touched that simple ring.

"Is that… what I, think it is?" He asked her.

She smiled while her eyes fixated on it along with his.

"Yeah" She breathed.

He didn't know that he could feel even worse than before but he did.

"I wish… I could make you feel better, Abbs." He said quietly.

"You are just by being here." She assured him.

He looked at that ring and he knew exactly why she had hurt so much and why she was still falling to pieces.

"Don't tell me he got it out a Cracker Jack box." He joked hoping to make her smile, which it did.

Smiling she shook her head. "I wouldn't have cared if he did... my answer would have been the same."

Tony smiled while the tears filled his eyes. "So, how did you two…"

"We went out to dinner about four months ago…" She trailed off while she thought about that night. "It was just dinner; you know the usual but afterward when he took me home I hugged him and thanked him." She took a deep breath as she continued. "Then out of nowhere he leaned in and kissed me…" She giggled.

Tony smiled.

Swallowing the lump in her throat she sniffed back her tears. "I was like _'Oh my god'_" She giggled. "He pulled back and whispered _'I always wanted to do that'_"

Tony smiled. "Yeah, I'm sure he did."

She chuckled. "I stood there like a stupid girl who'd never been kissed before." She smiled. "He was all _'Abbs, you okay'_ and I just nodded. He just smiled" The tears fell from her eyes. "He smiled and said _'I'll see you tomorrow'_" Her breath shuddered. "I asked him to kiss me again and he just looked at me like 'really?'"

Tony giggled.

"He kissed me and I was so scared but when he kissed me nothing else mattered then he tells me _'I need a rule for this'_" She smiled. "I asked him what rule would that be and without missing a beat he tells me _'never kiss a girl who asks to be kiss; she might ask you to do something and you will do it, without question'_ I started to laugh and told him to go home. He just smiled and walked off as he said _'see'_ and I laughed as I watched him leave…"

Fighting her tears she hugged Tony who hugged her back.

"Tony, I loved him… I still do and it hurts so bad..." She cried.

Holding her he looked down at her. "I wish I could take that pain from you, I wish I could go and change things but Abby don't ever forget we're here for you okay?"

She nodded.

"I'm here and I'm not going anywhere because I know he wouldn't want me to leave you alone, especially now." He told her as she cried in his arms.

* * *

**That evening...**

They didn't go to work instead he stayed with her and listened to endless stories of the lives of his friends that he never knew about.

Tony laughed sitting on the couch next to her.

"There was this one time about two months back" He told her. "We were working on a case and he didn't show up on time and Ducky was starting to ask about him so I went to his house. I called because he wasn't there and he answers, I tell him we were waiting for him and he tells me he was at his house and leaving which he wasn't."

Abby smiled.

"Anyway I get back to the crime scene and there he his in the same clothes from the night before."

"Oh my god" She mumbled.

Tony smiled. "That bastard was coming from your place wasn't he?" He asked.

Abby shook her head refusing to answer.

"Abby, I never thought you two would ever end up together but you have always been perfect together." He told her.

She smiled at him.

"You were good for each other." He said gripping her hand in his. "I wish I could have saw you two together but I think I did. The way you looked at him, the way he looked at you maybe I didn't miss much but I'm happy that you loved each other."

Looking at him she was going to speak but covered her mouth with her free hand as a look of worry came over her face.

"Abby you okay?" Tony asked.

"Yeah… I'm fine. "She tried to fight the sudden nausea she was over come with. "Oh god." She said under her breath as she darted for the restroom.

He followed her quickly but stopped when he heard her throw up. He stood in the hall way waiting for her to emerge. Minutes later after rinsing her mouth she came back out feeling a little better.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, just been really tired lately and… I had a cold last week I think I'm still sick from that." She told him as she walked down the hallway.

Tony followed her as he tired not to think about what else it could be.

Walking into the kitchen she pulled out a bottled water from her fridge while he stood a few feet away from her watching her.

"Maybe you should go to the hospital, I could take you." He said quietly.

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine I just need more water." She said drinking it.

He took a breath hoping to get a thought out his mind that wasn't going away.

"What?" she asked setting the water down.

He quietly shook his head as he forced a smile to assure her that nothing was wrong.

She looked at him while her mind was filled with the same thought, a thought she never dared to think of at all.

She shook her head reading into the question he didn't want to ask her. "No" she breathed.

"Okay" he replied nervously.

Her mind raced. "No, I can't." she told herself out loud.

He shrugged. "You sure?"

For a moment she thought as she looked at him. "No" she said scared.

Tony chuckled nervously. "Hey, it's a cold okay you'll be over it and you'll be fine." He told her trying to play it off as nothing.

"Yeah" She agreed with him.

"Okay, well – um… I'm going to order us a pizza." He said as he was going to walk away.

"Tony?" Her voice was filled with fear.

Slowly he turned his attention back at her. "Yeah?"

"What if it's … not a cold." She said softly.

"And what if it is and you're over reacting." He said quietly.

"Right." She replied while making her way back into her living room flopping down on her sofa.

He watched her for moment until he pulled out his cell phone to place an order.

"You don't mind peppero-" He stopped seeing her start to cry.

He put his phone away and sat down next to her. "Abby, everything is going to be fine okay?"

She wiped her tears and looked at him. "Right, I'm going to feel really stupid if it was a cold."

He nodded. "We'll just laugh about it." He assured her.

Taking a deep breath she spoke softly. "I don't mind, pepperoni."

"Neither do I" He replied.

They both sat unsure of what to do or say after the same thought filled their minds. If it was a cold would she feel relieved? Then again if it wasn't…

She shut her eyes hoping her mind would just stop thinking because now she was scared of what she was thinking of.

* * *

**The next day…**

It took her all morning to gather her courage to run that test and all her will power to keep from throwing up again. It was nearly 5 PM when she was pacing her lab waiting for that fifth and what she told herself would be the final result, because the other four were wrong, they had to be.

Her hand nervously fumbled with the dog tags that hung around her neck while she waited for that beep to tell her that the test was ready to be analyzed. Her fingers ran over that name and those numbers that were on the tags while she continued to pace hoping that this would be the one test that would prove the others wrong.

***ding***

That noise stopped her dead in her tracks as she quietly hoped that, that was the elevator. For a while she stood there hoping and praying that those elevator doors would open but they never did. Looking to the floor she drew in a breath as she tentatively approached her work station.

Yesterday had been her darkest day since losing him; so dark that she nearly ended it all. A month ago her world fell apart and it still was falling apart around her and there was no one to save her, no one to tell her that her life was precious and that they needed her. She never thought she would ever feel a blade on her wrist like she did yesterday, or feel so worthless, so meaningless to the point nothing else mattered, not even her own life.

He was the one who would bring a smile to her face with a little gesture or with a smile of his own. There was something that only he could do like look at her and know exactly what she was thinking, hold her and make everything okay or save her from the cruel world that they lived in. It had killed her since those marines came to that drive way and every day since she had died, died a thousand times that it made her feel like she wasn't alive at all.

Her life had no meaning since that day, her days were dark, her nights were lonely and yesterday she had told herself that there was nothing to live for, anymore. To die was a sweet escape that crossed her mind but this last time he would save her life in a way she never thought he would, he was her purpose for living and now even though he was gone he would give her, purpose. Her eyes slowly shut while the tears that she had been fighting fell from her eyes as the test that lay before her made her realize that now there was somebody

worth living for.

* * *

**~*Drop A Review - I'll Drop A Chapter.*~**

**Next Chapter: "Answers"**

"Given the circumstances I thought it was safe to go down this road... hope you enjoyed this chapter."

- The Gabby Effect -


	5. Answers

***Thanks for your reviews they keep those bunnies hopping! So, as promised I'm dropping a chapter!***

* * *

**Answers…**

She left her apartment that morning planning on going to go see her doctor afterward, to prepare herself for the months that were coming. They had never talked about having kids; they weren't in a relationship that long to consider if they had. Quietly, she fumbled with the work that she tried to finish up for the team that needed her. Staying focused on her work was difficult because she kept thinking about how she was going to get through these next few months and the painful fact that she was going to be a single parent.

She had called Tony and let him know, he didn't say much but assured her that everything would be fine. Would it really be fine? She asked herself as she worked on the fingerprint analysis.

She never held a baby, she didn't know how, she never even considered having one and now she was going to bring a life into this world alone. A little baby that was apart of her and apart of…

Stopping she sniffed back the tears that instantly came.

That was apart of him.

Placing her hand on her abdomen she took a deep breath as a memory floated into her thoughts.

* * *

_Laying her back she laughed while trying look at the stars above her as he counted. _

_"12, 13, 14, 15…"_

_"Okay, stop!" She laughed._

_Lying next to her he smiled while he looked up at night sky filled with the infinite number of stars. _

_"I did say I would do anything for you." He told her. _

_"When I said count the stars for me, I didn't think you would." She smiled looking at him. _

_He chuckled as he watched those little specs of light flicker above them. In the outskirts of D.C. they lay there on the hood of his car, resting against the windshield, watching the stars._

_"Abby?" He said quietly._

_"Gibbs" She whispered back. _

_"I really would do anything for you, you just have to ask." He told her._

_Smiling she leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Fly me to stars."_

_He turned to her with his usual seriousness. "I would but, I forgot my cape in my truck." _

_She laughed while leaning closer to kiss his lips. "My superman" She whispered against his lips. _

_"I love you." He said against hers._

* * *

Her hand still resting on her abdomen she whispered.

"Come back"

A whispered request that no one else could hear but her, was a cry for help because she knew she couldn't do this on her own.

***ding* **

She quickly wiped her tears before who ever it was came into her lab.

Tim walked in scanning the lab until he saw her standing in the middle of the room.

"Hey" He greeted her.

"Hey" She tried to sound normal.

"Um-"

"Nothing yet on the prints but it looks promising." She informed him before he could ask.

He nodded while trying not to look at her too long; instead he looked at the computer monitor.

"Nothing to suggest that the FBI is investigating this is there?" He asked.

Taking a deep breath she shook her head. "No, why?"

Looking back at her he shrugged. "I thought I saw Fornell, just wondering."

Silently she nodded because hearing Fornell's name brought a sudden flashback.

* * *

_Sitting on the counter she sipped on her coffee as he stood to his kitchen stove. _

_"Fornell was bugging me about last night." He told her as he made breakfast._

_"Really… what did you say?" She asked. _

_"What do you think I said?" He asked turning around. _

_Smiling she shook her head. "I'm guessing you gave him that infamous Gibbs-glare."_

_He smiled. "Tried it but he kept asking." He told her. _

_"What was he asking about?" She said sipping on her coffee. _

_"He kept asking whose lipstick was on my lips when I came out of the elevator, yesterday." He told her. _

_She laughed. "Sorry" _

_"You know you could've told me there was lipstick on me." He said smiling. _

_"I was hoping those women in administration, who are always checking you out would see it, not Fornell." She said amused. _

_He smiled shaking his head. "I wouldn't have cared if DiNozzo saw it but it had to Tobias. The guy who has to know everything and now he's still bugging me."_

_She laughed as she hopped off the counter. "How long are we going to keep us a secret?" She asked. _

_Turning off the stove he walked up to her and he wrapped his arms around her. "Dunno, personally I don't mind telling everyone but it's that damn FBI agent I'm worried about."_

_"He's going to be very surprised, when he finds out." She said looking up at him._

_"I think I'll just sprinkle sawdust on you and have Fornell bug you about it for awhile." He said smiling. _

_"Everyone will know who I'm with if you did that… woodchuck." She teased._

_"Have you seen my basement?" He asked._

_She smiled. "Of course I've seen it." She said wrapping her arms around his neck._

_Smiling he bent down and picked her up laying her over his shoulder._

_"GIBBS! STOP!" She screamed as her cup went falling to the floor._

_Laughing he headed for the basement._

_"What are you doing?!" She screamed while laughing._

_"Something about covering you in sawdust and kisses sounds really good right now." He said as he headed down the basement._

_Laughing she let her gunny take her away to the basement while breakfast was all but forgotten. _

* * *

The sound of what she held in her hands hitting the floor snapped her out her thoughts. Her breath shuddering she bent down to pick them up but suddenly her eyes filled with the tears that kept her company everyday since losing him.

Her body shuddered as she just sat there as those lonely tears streamed down her face.

McGee quietly made his way next to her while picking up the items she had dropped from the floor. Her quiet breakdown made it difficult to say something but he said the only thing that he could think of.

"Abby, its okay"

"No… it's not." She whispered back as she wiped her tears.

She got up quickly and walked over to her work station before McGee said anything else.

Watching her leave he picked up the rest of the items and quietly turned around to see her typing as she sniffed her tears back. Slowly he walked up beside her placing the items on the table next to her while she stopped typing.

"Abby I-"

"I'm pregnant" She blurted out.

His breath caught in his throat he was unable to speak while the information hit him like a punch in the gut.

Wiping her tears she turned to him to say something else but her words couldn't come.

Still processing the information he just heard moments ago all he could do was just stand there.

Giving up on saying something else, she brushed by him and headed for her office.

For awhile he stood there until he noticed she was gone. Looking toward her office he watched her seated in her chair staring at the blank screen on her computer monitor. What he had heard on the recording still haunted him and now that recording would be hard to forget. Slowly he headed for her office unsure if she wanted his company but he knew he couldn't leave her alone, not now.

The sound of the doors swooshing filled the quiet room as he walked in. Standing there he just watched her still not sure of what to say instead he would wait for her to say something… anything.

It was a long time before she turned to face him and gathered the strength to speak.

"There's only… one person that I know that can program a file and have it delete itself like that." She said softly.

He nodded acknowledging that he was the one who helped Vance with the recording that he gave her.

Taking a deep breath she looked at her friend. "Tim, I know you know… about me and…" She grimaced. "Gibbs." She whispered.

"Yeah" He breathed.

Nodding she turned away as her tears fell.

"I wasn't ready for a lot of things. I wasn't ready for… my heart wasn't ready to lose him." She wiped her tears. "I'm not ready." Her voice cracked.

"Abby, I'm here okay. Tony is here, Ducky and even Palmer. We are all here for you." He assured her.

"What am I going to do?" She asked looking back at him.

Opening his mouth to speak he was cut off by her.

"What am I going to do when people find out I'm pregnant, they didn't know who I was dating… not even my friends knew. You know what they're going to say right?"

"Abby" He tried to stop her.

"They're going to say things like I don't know who the father is or the guy just dumped me after… I don't think I can handle that." She told him.

"Abby we're not going to let them say those things about you." He promised her.

"What am I going to say?" She asked.

Confused he looked at her. "To who?"

"When my baby grows up and asks, why he or she doesn't have a da-" She swallowed the lump in her throat. "What am I going to say?"

Unable to answer he knelt down in front of her and pulled her close to him. He listened to her cries as he fought his own tears that filled his eyes, in silence they held each other. His embrace was all he could offer her and he hoped that it was enough.

Pulling back from him she wiped her tears.

"I need to ask you something." She whispered.

"Okay" He replied.

"On the recording… when he said _'we were going to tell you first then everyone_ else' to Vance. Vance knew already didn't he?"

McGee said nothing.

"Leon never questioned it he just listened like he knew… McGee what else was on that recording?" She asked.

He looked at her knowing he didn't have the heart to tell her, that the man who had taken her marine from her had known things about her and Gibbs. He shook his head not wanting to answer.

"I need to know why I'm going to raise a baby alone. Why he didn't come home." She told him as the tears fell from her eyes.

Taking a deep breath he thought about the recording. "Abby you should be talking to Vance." He told her.

"Maybe I should do that now." She said getting up and heading straight for the elevator determined to find answers.

Pulling out his cell phone he called Tony.

"Yeah?" DiNozzo answered.

"Tony, Abby's heading up to see the Director." He said quickly as he ran after her.

* * *

**The squad room…**

Tony stood by the rear elevator waiting for it to open but once it did he was ignored as she just walked by him without saying a word. Sharing glances with McGee they followed her up the stairs to Vance's office.

"What's going on?" Tony whispered.

McGee just shook his head while they continued to follow her.

Reaching Vance's secretary she didn't say a word as she entered without even knocking.

"Ms. Scuito!" She yelled.

Tony just shot her a glare that stopped her from picking up the phone to let the director know.

"Abby?" Vance said as he stood up while Fornell did the same.

No longer crying but her eyes still red she took a deep breath as she came closer to the men.

"Director Vance… I need to know something." She said looking at both Vance and Fornell.

Leon looked at the agents that were standing behind her.

"What is this in regards too?" He asked even though he had a good idea what she was going to ask him.

"How did you found out about… us." She said trying to hold back her tears.

Dropping his gaze Vance looked at his desktop then to Fornell who just looked back at him.

"Excuse me?" He said softly.

"You heard me. I heard the recording you gave me and when he told to you say those things to me… not once did you question it." She said keeping her sight focused on him.

"I found out that day." He replied.

"I didn't want to ask what I'm going to ask now but I need to know." She said taking a shaky breath. "What happened?" She whispered.

Vance looked at Fornell then to his agents behind Abby. "I don't- I don't think he would want me to tell you." He said softly.

"I don't care." She said shaking her head. "I need to know why he didn't come home, why he's not here… with me." Her tears fell. "…and why I'll be raising a child alone." She told the director.

Fornell looked at her shocked by what he had just heard while Vance stood silent.

The room was quiet for a moment until Fornell finally managed to tear his sight away from Abby.

"Leon… she needs to know." He said quietly.

Vance looked up at Tony. "You read the report." He told his agent.

Tony stepped up standing next to Abby. "I'm sorry director but forgive me when I say 'that report is shit'."

Abby looked at Tony who kept his eyes on Vance.

"Timothy?" Leon said looking at McGee.

Taking a breath he stood on the other side of Abby. "I read the report sir, and I heard the recording..." He looked at Abby. "…the entire recording."

Abby looked at her boss. "Entire?" She asked.

"What recording?" Tony asked.

Fornell looked at DiNozzo. "The recording from that day when-"

"Agent Fornell, do I need to remind you how sensitive this issue is?" Vance warned.

"They need to know Leon, _especially_ her." Tobias said pointing at Abby.

The four people in his office weren't going to leave until they had their answers so, hesitantly he reached to his desk hitting the button that stopped the recordings in his office and prevented anyone from entering.

"What you hear in this office stays in this office; I need to know that you all understand that." Leon said looking at all of them.

Quietly they all nodded while Abby just stood there waiting.

"Abby sit." He said quietly.

Nervously she took a seat across the director.

He looked at his agents and Fornell then to the girl seated across him.

"Abby… I found out about you and, Gibbs..." He carefully said his name. "…I found out that day but he wasn't the one who told me." He told her.

"Who told you?" She asked.

"No one…" he replied.

"What do you mean?" Tony asked.

"The target that we were after knew." He said looking at his agent. "He knew things about Gibbs and, you." Leon said looking at Abby.

She looked down at her hands that were folded on her lap.

"I don't know how he knew but he did. He knew exactly who I would send even before I sent him. He knew about the cabin…" Vance told her.

Looking back at him she shook her head. "How could he?"

"I don't know and for this past month I've been trying to figure that out." He told her.

Fornell cleared his throat. "Abby, the reason why he did what he did was because he couldn't risk that man getting out alive knowing what he knew."

"If he lives most likely he would come after Abby." Tony said quietly.

Vance nodded. "All his men were dead and it was just him, Gibbs couldn't risk letting him live." He told her.

The information sinking in caused more questions as she looked at Leon.

"Did he kill him?"

Vance nodded. "They found him next to…" He trailed off.

She dropped her head not wanting him to continue.

Tobias walked over to her; kneeling down beside her he took her hands in his.

"Abby… I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I was in deep cover until last week." He told her as he watched the tears fall.

Sniffing back her tears she looked at him gripping his hands tight in hers. "Even though he hated you I know he cared about you." She smiled.

He chuckled. "Hell, I hated that bastard… hated him even more when I found out about you two." He smiled.

She laughed through her tears.

Vance slowly rounded his desk and knelt down beside her.

"I'm so sorry… for what I did to you." He whispered as his eyes filled with tears.

Taking her hands away from Tobias she wrapped her arms around Leon's neck as she hugged him.

"It's okay…" She cried.

"No, it's not." He said shaking his head.

"It' not your fault" She whispered holding him close.

The tears fell from his eyes as he listened to the girl the marine had loved tell him that it was okay and it wasn't his fault made him feel a little better even though he would always feel that guilt inside. The people in this room had all cared for and respected that marine who was identified by those numbers 817657320 and right now their main priority would always be the girl he left behind and the life they both had made.

The room was quiet as she held onto Leon knowing she had more questions but for now these answers were enough to get through the months that were coming.

TBC...

* * *

**~*Drop A Review - I'll Drop A Chapter.*~**

**Next Chapter: "Home"**

"Hope you like this little chapter."

-The Gabby Effect-


	6. Home

***Thanks for your reviews and for F/F this FF. As promised here is the next chapter.* TGE**

* * *

**Home**

_Two months later…_

She sat at the top of the stairs looking at the front door of this quiet house while she waited for her friends to come over with the final load of her things from her apartment.

Telling Jackson that she was pregnant for his son was the most difficult thing that she had to do since losing her marine but the news had brought meaning back into his life just the way it had brought it back into hers.

There were tears shed between them that was somewhere along the lines of heartbreak and happiness. Their embrace was long as if it was the person they both missed that they were holding. Jackson was the one who had talked her into moving into his sons' home and assured her that, that's what he would have wanted.

She had given into Jackson's requests two weeks ago and so since then she had begun moving in slowly, still unsure if she was stepping over some unseen boundary but she kept telling herself that he had given her a ring and what that symbolized. It meant that he wanted her in his life and most likely after marrying him she would have moved in anyway.

A smile on her face she sat waiting while she thought about a memory that was really unimportant but none the less it was memory among many that she hoped that she would never forget.

* * *

_"Ow" He groaned on the floor at the foot of the stairs._

_She was laughing as she crawled over to him. "Are you okay?"_

_"No, jeez I can't believe you just…" He laughed as he looked at her. "Next time tell me when you do that."_

_Smiling she leaned in placing a kiss on his cheek. "Okay, I'll warn you next time I want a piggy back ride."_

_"And not when I'm going down the stairs." He chuckled as he rolled over pulling her close to him. _

_She laughed while looking down at him. "You know I'm getting use to being here with you." She mumbled as she began to kiss him. _

_"Me too…" He said kissing her. _

_Pulling away she looked down at him. "Did you hear that?" She asked him._

_"Nope" He replied capturing her lips again._

_Suddenly the sound of muffled voices came closer to the door._

_Both quickly parting they went crawling in opposite directions laughing as they tried to not be seen together._

_"Come on McGee, Sean Connery was the best bond." Tony said as he entered the house. _

_"I'm shutting up now." McGee said as he walked in. "Thought I saw Abby's car." He said looking around._

_"They're probably in the basement, come on." Tony said leading his friend toward the basement stairs. _

_After a moment Abby emerged adjusting her clothing while he walked out from the darkness dusting off his hoodie. _

_"That was close." He said smiling as he looked at her. _

_"I know…" She whispered hearing Tony and McGee coming back up the stairs. Quickly she wiped her lipstick of his lips while they quickly parted again. _

_"There you are!" Tony exclaimed. "Where were you two?" He asked. _

_"Did you bring the beer?" Gibbs asked quickly changing the subject again. _

_"Yeah, McGee has the pizza and who has the cards?" Tony asked. _

_"I'll set up the table." Abby said taking the food and beer while quickly sharing a glance with her gunny who just smiled back at her. _

* * *

She giggled quietly to herself as she looked down at the wooden floor where they both had fallen and where they were nearly caught kissing. Memories like this would remind her of the life she had with him even though it might have been brief at least it had happened.

Looking down at her necklace she picked it up examining it while a smile tugged on her lips seeing that ring.

What would he have said, if he had come home to find out she was pregnant, she wondered.

"You would probably take a shot of bourbon, turn off your cell phone and give yourself a head slap." She whispered as she looked at the tags.

She had found herself talking to him like he was there, like he would respond and maybe he was in some way… maybe he was with her. She would smile hearing him reply to a question that she thought about because she knew exactly what he would say. She knew her Gibbs better than anyone else, almost as much as Shannon knew him. He wasn't complicated at all, he was straight forward and direct, why his other marriages didn't work she knew why. They didn't work because of his past and how much his past meant to him. They were trying to fix him and force him to forget and move on but she knew the past is what made him who he was and she loved him even though others would have said that he wasn't a easy person love… she smiled because she knew loving him was the easiest thing to do, it was like breathing for her.

"I'm almost moved in now." She whispered looking down at the door way.

_'You must love bossing DiNozzo and McGee around.'_ She heard him say.

She laughed. "I love them… they haven't left my side and yeah they do what ever I ask them too." She smiled.

_'I feel sorry for them.'_

"They're only doing what you…" She stopped as she looked beside her half hoping to see him.

Her breath shuddering she looked around.

_'Don't do that'_ she could hear him say.

"Do what?" She asked taking a deep breath while holding back her tears.

_'Don't look for me… I'm always with you.'_

A tear rolling down her cheek she shook her head. "Great, now I'm having conversations with myself." She mumbled.

Drying her tears she looked down at her tummy as she placed her hand on the little bump that was concealed by his hoodie that she was wearing.

"You have no idea how scared I am… I don't know how to be your mom." She whispered.

She had read many books but it wasn't enough... she giggled knowing that Tony and McGee had been reading them also both determined to be there for her like it was their duty. She was happy for her friends who made her laugh more and the tears seem to come less and less. Everyone was looking out for her like she was some piece of glass and they took every precaution to make sure she wasn't stressing herself or carrying anything heavy. She smiled at the thought when Jimmy took a day off to help her pack up and insisted he do everything.

The sound of his truck pulling up she took a deep breath as she got up and descended the stairs before Tony and McGee would freak out seeing her on the stairs. Opening the front door she looked out seeing her gunny's truck filled with her things while a little memory associated with that truck entered her mind.

* * *

_"We're here." She said parking his truck._

_Looking around the Navy Yard he took a deep breath._

_"Ready?" She asked him amused._

_Turning to her he smiled. "When things were getting good you had to remember your hippo."_

_She punched his shoulder. "He has a name."_

_"Right Bert, I hate that little bastard." He mumbled as he looked at few parked cars in the parking lot._

_She laughed. "Don't say that"_

_"Abbs come on, right when things were getting interesting I mean my hoodie was off and… things were happening." He said looking at her._

_"We'll pick up where we left off later, but come with me to get Bert." She insisted. _

_"You're driving my truck, wearing my hoodie that you took off of me and now we're here at the Navy Yard at…" He looked at watch. "0130… what else are you going to take over in my life?" He asked._

_"I think that muscle car is next on my 'to-do' list.." She replied smiling. _

_"Didn't you already 'do' something with me in the back seat of that car?" He said smiling at her. _

_Laughing she slapped his shoulder. "I meant driving it!" She said getting out of the truck. _

_Laughing he got out after her to retrieve her precious hippo. "We haven't 'do' anything in my truck though." He said walking after her. _

_She laughed as she took his hand. "You think anyone will notice if the elevator isn't working?" She asked. _

_"Why what's wrong with the eleva-" He stopped mid sentence realizing what she was suggesting. "I love the way your mind works." He smiled at her. _

_She smiled as she tugged him toward the Navy Yard._

* * *

Smiling she watched Tony, McGee and Palmer take off her things from that truck.

"You look happy." Carol said walking up with a box in hand.

"Just thinking" She replied still looking at the truck.

Carol smiled as she walked into the house.

Walking up to the truck she looked at her boys hard at work.

"Need help?" She asked.

"NO!" They all replied.

She chuckled as she watched them take off the last load of her things from her apartment.

"I ordered pizza, it should be here soon." She told them.

"Great! I'm hungry." Tony said as he walked by with a box full of items.

"You're always hungry." McGee mumbled while he and Palmer took off her shelf from the back of the truck.

She smiled as they entered the house.

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Leon said walking up to her.

"Very" She said turning to him.

"This it?" He asked pulling the black Yoshi from the box he was holding.

Smiling she took it. "Yes, thank you."

"Am I ever going to know the story behind that?" He asked.

Hugging the stuffed toy she shrugged. "Maybe… someday."

He nodded as he walked ahead of her with the last box from her apartment.

Following Leon she took one last look at that truck and smiled before entering the house that was filled with her friends.

"Come on, McGee put your back into it." Palmer demanded halfway up the stairs holding the end of the shelf.

"Shut up Palmer" McGee huffed.

"Abby" Palmer said as he looked at McGee over the shelf.

"McGee, be nice!" Abby shouted up the stairs that made Timothy groan while Jimmy just smiled.

She walked into the living room to see Tony sprawled across the couch while Leon and Carol were taking out soda's and beer from the fridge.

"You sure you're not going to get rid of this old thing?" Tony asked as he padded the couch.

Abby smiled at him. "You mean you or the couch?" She jabbed.

Leon started to laugh. "Good one Abby." He said walking over to Tony.

"That's not funny." Tony said taking his beer from Vance.

Abby smiled while she took a seat on the recliner looking at the stuffed toy that sat on her lap.

"I've wanted to ask you about that." Carol said pointing at it as she came in.

"Don't bother I've tried." Leon told her as he drank his beer.

Smiling she looked up at her friends. "Thank you, I don't know how I can ever pay you back for all this." She said looking at them.

"You don't need to pay us back, we're happy to help." Vance told her.

"Speak for yourself… I want to be paid in a endless supply of pizza." Tony said as he got up.

"Speaking of which, I think it's here." Abby said looking toward the window.

"Nice!" Tony exclaimed as he darted for the door but stopped. "Uh- Abby?"

"It's already paid for." She told him.

"NICE!" He said again as he continued to the door.

Carol shook her head. "Classic Tony, sometimes I don't know whether to strangle him or give him a head slap."

Abby chuckled while replaying little flashes of Gibbs head-slapping Tony.

"I'm hungry." Tony said walking back in with a stack of pizza boxes and set them down on the coffee table in the living room. "Pizza, pizza, pizza, pizza, pizza, pizza, pizza, pi-"

***SMACK***

"Thank you!" Carol said to Vance who had just Gibbs-slapped Tony.

Abby laughed.

"You're welcome." Leon said as he took a slice of pizza.

"So, Abby two boxes are for you huh?" Tony teased as he bit into his pizza.

"Shut up, Tony." She smiled while McGee and Palmer came down to join them.

"Yum, I was hungry." Jimmy said taking a slice.

"Tell me about it." Tim said taking two slices.

Carol handed Abby a slice. "Here's a slice but if you want the whole box I can get it for you." She teased.

"This is fine." She said taking it. "Mmm, you know what would really go good with this right now?" She asked biting into her slice.

"What?" Carol asked.

"Ice cream… some strawberry ice cream." She said chewing her food.

"I think I can help with that." Leon told her.

"You're going to go get her ice cream?" Jimmy asked.

Leon shook his head as he pulled out his cell phone. "Not me…"

Everyone looked at him as he put the phone on speaker so they all could hear who he was calling. They listened to the phone ringing for a while until someone answered.

"Fornell" The FBI agent answered.

Abby smiled at Leon.

"Hey, Tobias where are you at?" Vance asked.

"Work." He replied.

"Abby, wants ice cream." Leon told him.

Fornell chuckled. "You can't be serious; I'm on my way to an interrogation."

"Aren't you a Senior Special Agent?" Vance replied.

There was a silence and then they heard him ask someone else to conduct the interrogation. "Okay, what flavor?" He asked.

Abby shook her head giggling while everyone else smiled.

"Strawberry and not the cheap stuff you buy." Leon told Tobias.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… so where is she?" He asked.

"She's moved in." Leon replied.

"Okay, I'll drop it off." Tobias said before he hung up.

Tony laughed. "Two Federal Agencies are at the mercy of Abby and her baby." He said as he took another slice.

"So, do you want to know whether it's a boy or girl?" McGee asked.

"I'm not sure I want to know…" She trailed off looking at the stuffed toy on her lap.

Carol smiled at her. "Well, if it's a girl you should name her-"

"Clark!" Tony exclaimed.

Everyone looked at him.

"What girl is named Clark?" Carol asked.

"No, if it's a boy name him Clark." Tony explained.

"Don't tell me… Superman?" McGee said looking at Tony.

"No, Clark Gable… oh no wait James." Tony smiled

"After me?" Jimmy said happily.

"Not you gremlin, Bond _James_ Bond." Tony spat.

Abby laughed as she shook her head. "I'm not letting you name my baby whether it's boy or girl." She told Tony.

"Well, whatever he or she will be named, there is no doubt that; that little baby will be the most protected baby in D.C." Leon said looking at Abby.

"Damn right." Carol said smiling at Abby.

"A FBI agent, Director of NCIS, A MIT graduate with mad gun skills, one of the best and hottest NCIS agents and Mighty Mouse." Tony said pointing at Carol. "Yup, no one is going to mess with you and your baby." Tony exclaimed.

"Shut up, DiNozzo." Carol said tossing a pillow at Tony.

"What about me?" Jimmy asked.

"Oh yeah, and a gremlin… just don't get him near water." Tony teased.

They all laughed while Jimmy just shook his head.

* * *

_**30 minutes later…**_

She walked up to the door opening it for the FBI agent who stood on the other side.

"You're majesty." He bowed as he handed her the little tub of ice cream.

She chuckled as she took it from him. "Thanks"

"Anything else you need like pickles, cheese puffs… chili?" He asked.

She laughed. "No, this is fine." She told him.

Smiling he nodded as he looked behind her to see boxes of her things. "So, you all moved in I see."

"Almost" She told him.

"That's good; it's safer and quieter out here." He said looking around the neighborhood.

"Yeah, McGee said he is going to make it safer by installing a security system for me." She said smiling.

He chuckled. "He's looking out for you. That's good. Plus, having NCIS agents at your disposal not to mention the Director of NCIS is really good."

"Yeah, even an Agent from the Hoover building is nice." She said to him.

He laughed. "The best one in the agency." He added.

"Thanks, Fornell." She said quietly.

"Nah- it's nothing. I'm just doing what I have to. You're_ his_ girl, always will be and I'm just looking out for the future FBI agent in there." He said pointing at her tummy.

She laughed shaking her head. "Yeah, I'm sure he would have loved to hear that."

He smiled looking at his best friends' girl. "I do anything for that damn marine... even look after his girl." He said quietly.

Smiling she nodded. "Thank you, Tobias." She whispered as she hugged him.

He smiled as he hugged her back. "If you need anything don't bother calling." He told her.

She hugged him a little tighter. "I will."

* * *

_**The next morning…**_

She laid on her back in the middle of the huge bed looking up at the ceiling as a lone tear streamed down her face as she thought about a morning she had a few months ago.

* * *

_She woke up feeling him fall on the bed beside her._

_Groaning she opened her eyes to see him looking back at her._

_"What are you doing here?" She asked. _

_Smiling he rolled over as he pulled her into his arms. _

_"Wanted to kiss you good morning" He whispered as he kissed her lips. _

_Smiling she wrapped her arms around him. "Mmm… my mornings just got better." She mumbled against his lips._

_"It can get even better." He smiled. _

_"I bet." She whispered._

_"Love you" He whispered against her lips._

_"I love the way your kisses taste like coffee." She replied._

_Parting from her lips he looked at her. "I want to kiss you good morning for the rest of my life." He told her. _

_"Well, I hope you live forever." She whispered back._

_He smiled at her. "As long as you're alive… so am I." He whispered back before kissing her good morning again. _

* * *

She wiped away her tears a she thought about the mornings she wished she could have back at least just one more time.

Her cell phone beeped notifying her that she had a text messaged. Reaching for her phone she looked at the incoming text.

_'Where are you?'_ – Tony

Setting her phone down she rested her hands on the bump that seem to grow every day as she looked over at the dog tags on the stand next to her. She looked at those numbers that she knew by heart now 817657320 and that name imprinted on the tags with them. She was here waking up alone again but it wasn't as bad because the little butterfly like feeling in her tummy reminded her that she wasn't alone, not anymore.

She lay here in this house where her baby would grow up and where she would learn how to become a mother. She wasn't sure if she could do it but she had her friends to help and they were willing to put their lives on hold for her. They made it clear that she was their main priority and so was the little baby growing inside her. It didn't matter if she was going to have a boy or girl because no matter what she was going to raise their baby in this house where she had many memories with the marine who lived here. Now, she was making new memories without him but something told her that he was there, in some way he would always there even in the memories she held onto.

Sniffing back her tears she smiled as she picked up her cell phone and replied back to Tony.

_'Home'_

_TBC..._

* * *

**~*Drop A Review - I'll Drop A Chapter.*~**

**Next Chapter: "27 days"**

_"I hope you like this latest chapter; I can't wait to share more."_

_-The Gabby Effect-_


	7. 27 Days

***Thanks for your reviews they keep this bunny hopping along so here is the next chapter.* TGE**

* * *

**27 days**

Months had gone by and everyone had endured her mood swings and demands for foods that they would dare eat even if they were paid to.

They had all had their share of late night calls which always ended with them delivering food to her and tonight wasn't any different.

Tony yawned as he descended the stairs followed by McGee who was rubbing his eyes.

"It's my turn on the couch right?" Tony mumbled as he walked over to the sofa that they were all use to sleeping on now.

"Yeah…" McGee yawned as he tossed the pillow he had to the floor next to the couch.

DiNozzo fell onto the couch and kicked off his shoes as he thought about nothing else except a good night sleep no matter how short it might be.

"What time is it?" He asked as he shut eyes.

Tim laid down on the floor next to him still yawning.

"It was 2:34 AM when I last checked." He replied as he closed his eyes.

Tony was just drifting off to sleep when he was wakened by McGee.

"You think he would be as tired as we are after doing all we do?" McGee asked half asleep.

"Nope… He'd probably be in the basement sipping on bourbon and covered in sawdust without even sleeping at all." Tony replied.

McGee smiled. "He would trust us with her right? I mean helping her like this?" He asked.

Tony chuckled. "No, I don't think he would trust us to even hold the baby… but, I know he wouldn't want anyone else helping Abby but us, probie."

Tim smiled at that thought. "Good night, Tony."

"Night, Timmy." Tony mumbled as he drifted off to sleep.

They both were asleep just like the girl upstairs who was cuddled up with her Yoshi and surrounded by cheese puff crumbs.

* * *

**Morning...**

She walked down the stairs carefully not because she didn't want to wake the men who were sleeping in the living room but because she was still getting use to carrying around this extra weight. She smiled at the men who were asleep in the living room. They had been here a lot lately and Tony was there so much he could have lived there. Letting them sleep she walked over to her coffee maker and turned it on and opened the fridge to make breakfast for all of them.

In the middle of making breakfast she stopped feeling a kick that she still wasn't use to. After feeling it subside she continued to make breakfast determined to have it ready before her boys woke up.

The sound of her cooking woke Tony up first. Yawning and stretching he looked into the kitchen seeing her preparing breakfast. Groaning he got up and joined her in the kitchen while McGee was still sleeping sprawled across the floor.

"Morning" Tony mumbled as he sleepily walked over to the coffee.

Smiling she looked over at him. "Thanks, for the puffs last night." She said quietly trying not to wake Tim.

"It's nothing… we're happy to help no matter what time it is we will deliver cheese puffs for you anytime." He replied taking a seat at the table.

Abby giggled as she turned on the stove. "Thanks"

"So, what did the doctor say about the little cheese puff?" He asked as he sipped on his coffee.

"The doctor said that … "She turned around to face him as she smiled. "… _he's,_ doing fine."

Tony raised his eyebrow while he put his coffee down on the table. "He?"

Abby smiled at him.

Getting up quickly he went over to her. "You said you didn't want to know."

She shrugged. "I didn't… but yesterday, I asked." She replied smiling.

"WOW! Congrats Abby." He said pulling her into his arms.

She giggled as she hugged him back.

"What's going on?" McGee muttered as he walked in still half asleep.

"MCGEE IT'S A BOY!" Tony yelled as he let go of Abby and rushed over to Tim shaking him awake.

"What's a boy?" Tim asked half startled.

"Cheese puff, cheese puff is a BOY!" Tony happily announced as he hugged McGee.

Abby stood in the kitchen laughing at Tony's reaction while McGee was slowly processing it.

"A boy?" McGee asked looking at Abby who nodded back at him causing him to hug Tony back.

She stood watching as her friends who were happy by the news that she had found out yesterday. Knowing that she had the best kind of friends any girl would ever ask for she was happy that she had them in her life to make things easier for her after everything that she had gone through.

* * *

**Later that afternoon…**

Tony and McGee were happy about the news they had heard this morning and even though they didn't want to go to work today they went promising to return tonight.

She looked down at the glass of water that was on the table in front of her while she was lost in memory brought on by the glass in her hand.

* * *

_The glass of water she was holding in her hand was filled to the brim as she turned around facing the agent who had brought her a dozen black roses. _

_He looked at the full glass of water as he cautiously walked backward. "Is that for the roses?" He asked._

_"Maybe" She said walking after him slowly that caused him to smile at her. _

_"I love you, Abbs." He said as he carefully watched the glass of water while he knelt down in front of her. _

_She started to laugh. "What are you doing?" She said looking down at him._

_Smiling he held up the roses to her as he peeked over them at her. "I don't know what I did… but I'm sorry." He told her softly. _

_Putting her free hand on her hip she looked down at the gunny that was on his knees in front of her. "It's hard to be mad at you when you're down there… get up." She demanded. _

_He silently shook his head. _

_"Leroy. Jethro. Gibbs. Get. Up." She pressed. _

_He chuckled looking at her over the top of the roses. "Nope, not gonna happen."_

_"Okay, well answer one question for me before I spill this all over you and hit you with those roses that you're giving me." She told him trying not to smile. _

_Raising an eyebrow he looked at her. "I don't even know why I'm being threatened but okay…" He said confused by her sudden threats. _

_"Why was Jenna asking Tony for your number today?" She asked. _

_"Jenna? Who's Jen-"_

_"Jenna you know the red head in-"_

_"Accounting?" He finished for her. _

_She gasped as she pointed at him. "How do you know that?!" _

_"You said one question." He said from behind the black roses he was holding. _

_"Okay, back to the first one… So, why did she want your number?" She asked. _

_He smiled at her. "You know, I love this jealousy thing, it's really hot." _

_She shook her head smiling. "Answer the question, Agent Gibbs." She pressed. _

_"She uh- she wanted my number… um-"_

_"Lie faster" She told him putting her hands on her hip again. _

_He chuckled as he shook his head. "She just called to ask me if I could come over tonight so that I can fix something that's wrong with her door." He replied._

_"Why, isn't there a phone book full of people who can fix that for her? Why does she have to ask my b-" She stopped before completing that sentence. _

_He smiled up at her. "Your what?"_

_"My Gibbs" She said smiling at him. _

_"I'm really loving what jealousy does to you." He replied. _

_"You're not going anywhere tonight, and to make sure you don't I might have to handcuff you to something." She told him seriously._

_Quietly he reached behind his back and held up his handcuffs at her as he smiled._

_Laughing she shook her head swiping the roses from him and playfully hitting him before taking them to put them in water. _

_"I'm not going to ever buy you roses again" He said getting up._

_She laughed shaking her head while she poured the glass of water in the vase for her roses._

* * *

Her memory fading she noticed that the ice cubes in her glass of water had nearly completely dissolved. She couldn't have known then that was the last time he would ever buy her those black roses that she loved so much. If only she could have saved a single rose from that bouquet she silently hoped as she began to sniff back her tears.

"Abby?" Carol said quietly who was seated across her.

Wiping her tears she looked up at her friend.

"You okay?" Carol asked.

Abby smiled through her tears. "Yeah, I'm fine… just-"

"…thinking" Her friend finished for her.

She nodded as she dried her tears before they came again. "Sorry" She breathed.

"It's okay… so what were you thinking about?" Carol asked.

Smiling she shook her head. "Things…"

Carol quietly nodded as she took a drink of her own glass of water. "So… did you call Jackson?" She asked carefully.

"Yeah, he was really happy. He said he's coming up here in two weeks." She told her friend.

Smiling Carol looked at Abby. "Tony sounded really excited."

Abby giggled. "Yeah he and McGee were really excited."

Carol didn't say anything as she saw her friend get the kind of look on her face like she was lost in thought again or that she was reliving another memory.

"Carol…" Abby said quietly.

"Yeah" She replied.

"You know I hate black rose's right?" She said softly.

Carol nodded. "Yeah, I think we all know that by now."

"Have you noticed no one ever gave me roses ever since…" She looked away unable to even say what she was thinking.

"Abby it's o-"

"I bought a single rose… yesterday." She whispered as she turned back to her friend.

"You did." Carol replied knowing that many months ago Abby had told her that she would never hold let alone buy a black rose ever again.

"Yeah, after the doctor told me that I was going to have a boy. I left happy and I passed this… this place that sells them." She took a deep breath. "The girl who works there her name is Rainy." She smiled. "She was happy to see me but I was happy that she didn't ask me anything… anyway, I bought one rose that had a blue ribbon on it and I took it to-"Her breath caught in her throat.

Carol looked down at her hands. "You shouldn't have gone alone, Abby." She whispered.

The tears began to fall from her eyes. "I had to." Abby replied.

Looking back her friend Carol said nothing.

"I had to go alone." She wiped her tears but they continued to fall. "I had to go _especially_ yesterday. When I got there I just made it to that bench. I sat there for a really long time, until I realized the rose I was holding… I had broken it in half." Her voice cracked.

Carol held back the tears that began to fill her eyes.

"Carol, I knew him so well that for the past few months I could still hear him. I could hear him say something when I was home alone doing things or when I'm at work and I'm not getting to the point quick enough but yesterday I didn't hear him." She said wiping her tears dry.

"What do you mean?" Carol asked quietly.

"I mean if he was there with me yesterday I wouldn't have known what he would have said. That scared me, Carol. It really scared me because that's when I realized I was sitting at that bench alone… and there wasn't anyone there to be happy that I was going to have a boy. He wasn't there to give me that look" She smiled as she pictured it. "That look that's just says _' I don't know what to say, but I'm here'_ I couldn't think of what he would have said you know something… anything, instead I heard nothing."

"Abby, that doesn't mean you're alone." She assured her friend.

"Probably not… but that scared me." She took a deep breath. "I left that broken rose on the bench because I couldn't go any further. Carol my life changed in so many ways on two different days that will haunt me for the rest of my life."

Carol couldn't say anything but look at her friend.

"The day I lost him I knew I would never love anyone as much as I loved him. The day I found out I was pregnant I was reminded that I could still love someone just as much or even more than I ever loved him. I still don't know how I'm going to do it or how good of a mother I will be but I have the best friends in the world that do anything for me." She smiled as she reached across taking Carols hand.

Carol gripped her hand back. "I'll always be there, Abby."

"I know, thank you Carol for everything I couldn't imagine going through all this without you." She said quietly.

"Hey, I'll be there even when that little guy gets here." Carol smiled.

"Better be." She smiled.

Carol chuckled. "I have a feeling you already know what to name him, don't you?"

Abby shook her head. "I'm not saying anything."

"Tell me it's not Clark." Carol smiled.

Abby giggled. "No, it's not Clark or James and it's not Tony."

Carol laughed as she pulled her hand away. "Not even cheese puff?"

Shaking her head Abby looked over at the sofa in her living room. "No, it's not… cheese puff."

She smiled as she thought about when she started to like cheese puffs so much.

* * *

_"Don't move your head." He said giggling as he stood the cheese puff up on her tummy. _

_She shut her eyes and opened her mouth while lying on her back as he flicked the puff in her direction. _

_She laughed as she felt it hit her cheek instead of going into her mouth. Opening her eyes she took one from the bag that was beside them on the couch. _

_"My turn" She said taking the puff and tossing it in his direction missing his mouth. _

_He smiled at her. "You know you're going to clean up all of this." He said turning his attention to the cheese puff covered floor. _

_She smiled as she reached down and began to pull him up until he was looking down at her. _

_"What time is it?" She asked while she wrapped her arms around his neck. _

_He looked out the window beside them. "Dunno, but it's probably almost morning." He told her. _

_Running her hands through his hair she smiled up at him. _

_"You know I never really cared about cheese puffs but after tonight I think I love them." She whispered pulling him down toward her. _

_"Yeah good thing Tony forgot them here." He said pulling away from her._

_She looked at him wondering why he was pulling away from her until she saw him pick up the bag of puffs and empty the entire bag all over her. _

_Laughing she shut her eyes feeling the puffs cover her body. _

_"Yup, I really love cheese puffs now." He said as he began to eat them off of her while she lay there in the dark laughing. _

* * *

Smiling, she slowly looked away from the sofa.

"What?" Carol asked.

Abby shook her head while she continued to smile.

"So, your leave started today?" Carol asked taking a drink of her water.

"Yeah, Vance said he needs to hire ten _normal_ people to fill my shoes." She smiled.

"I bet" Carol giggled.

"Carol, you think I'll be a good mom?" She asked.

"You're going to be a great mom, a awesome mom and a hot mom." Carol smiled.

"I hope he loves me." Abby said taking a breath.

"He will love you." Her friend assured her.

"You know I'm counting down the days until he gets here." She said looking at her tummy.

"So how many days left?" Carol asked.

"27 days."

TBC...

* * *

**~*Drop A Review - I'll Drop A Chapter.*~**

**Next Chapter: "L.J."**

"Remember this chapter..."

-The Gabby Effect-


	8. LJ

***Sorry, I've been sick the past few days but I'm finally better to continue!  
Thanks for the reviews they are the best and they keep this story going.  
Now, here is the latest chapter enjoy!* - TGE**

* * *

**L.J.**

"Sorry!"

Agent DiNozzo yelled as he darted by the woman who dropped her coffee because of him.

"Move, move, move… sorry." McGee said out of breath as he ran by her.

She stood looking at the agents running by her as her friend came rushing to her side.

"Megan, are you okay?" Her friend asked.

"Yeah" She breathed as she watched the agents rush to the Leon Vance's parked car.

"Hurry McGee!" Tony yelled as he opened the passenger door tossing his coat and bag inside.

Breathing heavily Tim came running up and jumped in the back seat.

"Did you let Ducky know?" Leon asked as he drove off the Navy Yard.

Tony nodded while trying to catch his breath as he pointed to the front.

Vance smiled and shook his head seeing Doctor Mallard was already leaving the Navy Yard before them.

* * *

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god." Carol thought out loud as she paced the floor.

"You're not… helping." Abby breathed as she looked at her.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be so scared since I was there for my sister but I mean this is _you_. Abby this is you! I never thought you would have a baby or get pregnant because you were always working and never dated much but now I'm here and you're-"Carol took a deep breath. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh god, oh my-"

"Carol please..." Abby begged who was just as nervous and the coming and going of the contractions weren't making it easy for her to be calm.

"Sorry" Carol breathed.

"How are you doing?" Dr. Williams asked as she entered the room.

"I'm a little nervous and scared." Carol replied.

Abby giggled as she shook her head.

Smiling the doctor walked over to Abby. "It's going to be a while before the little guy gets here." She informed her patient.

"You can't just… take him out?" She asked as she gripped the sheets.

"Better for you and baby this way, plus you're very healthy this shouldn't be a problem for you when it's time." She assured Abby.

"I doubt that." Abby replied as the wave of pain left again.

Looking at the monitors then back to Abby she smiled. "Is she your sister?" Dr. Williams asked while nodding in the direction of Carol.

Abby shook here head. "No… baby's daddy." She smiled.

Carol walked up beside her. "That's not funny." She replied while the doctor chuckled as she listened to Abby's heart.

"I'm kidding, Carol." Abby told her.

"Hey, if he's not here I'm next in line but I'm kind of wishing that he was because I need me a shot of bourbon." Carol said as she began to pace again.

"You're heart sounds great and I see no problems so, just hang in there okay?" Dr. Williams said as she began to leave the room.

"How long do you think?" Carol asked.

"It's her first child so it will be a while but the nurses will be in checking on her … and you, okay?" The doctor smiled.

Carol smiled. "Thanks."

"Oh god… I wish he was here." Abby mumbled as she shut her eyes trying to collect herself.

"Poor guy could you imagine what you could have been calling him?" Carol said walking up next to her.

Abby giggled. "I probably would have told him _'I wish I never slept with you'_ or something like that."

"Yeah, even though you loved every second of it." Carol jabbed.

Abby smiled at her. "Shut up."

"Knock-Knock" They heard Tony say from the door.

"Hey DiNozzo." Carol said as he walked in.

"So… how are things?" He asked as McGee entered behind him.

"Besides these waves of pain I'm fine." Abby replied.

"We came as fast as we could." McGee said walking over to her.

"Thanks, so where's Jackson?" Abby asked.

"He's with Ducky, they're down the hall you want them here?" Tony said as he walked over to the door.

Abby nodded.

"Are you okay?" McGee asked as he walked over taking her hand.

"Yeah… I'm just really scared." She whispered.

He gave her a gentle smile. "We're all here." He assured her.

"Thanks" She replied.

Jackson clearing his throat caught her attention.

"So, is my grandson here yet?" He asked walking up next to her.

She smiled. "No, not yet but I wish he would hurry up and get here." She told him taking his hand.

Taking a deep breath he looked at the girl his son had loved with his entire heart and now he also loved her for not only keeping his memory alive but for his grandson that had brought purpose back into their lives.

He could only assure her that everything would be okay with a simple smile because he knew that if he were to say what he wanted to say he would make her cry and most likely he would too.

Gripping his hand a little tighter she smiled back at him knowing that he would be there and that they all would be there for her especially today.

* * *

The minutes and then the hours went by until her contractions seemed to last longer than the next. She wanted it to be over and the urge to push was unbearable but each time the nurses told her not to she wanted to snap their necks.

Cringing she gripped the sheets as Tony and Carol stood beside her both feeling helpless and left at the mercy of the girl who was about rip their hands off of them.

"Abby!" Carol seethed as her hand felt like it was being run over by a car.

With a muffled scream Abby let her hand go but focused all her strength on Tony hand instead. Shutting his eyes he let her grip his hand tighter than she did only moments ago.

"Okay, Abby... push." Dr. Williams instructed her once again.

* * *

In the waiting room McGee stood at the door way looking toward the room where his friend was having a baby.

"McGee" Leon said making his agent jump.

"Oh, sorry… you think the b- ba –baby is here yet?" He stuttered.

Vance smiled at him. "They'll tell us when he's here, you can sit Tim." He told his agent.

"No, I can't." Tim replied looking back down the hallway.

"Anything?" Fornell asked trotting toward them out of breath.

"No, nothing yet." Leon said looking at him. "What took you so long?"

Taking a deep breath he looked down the hallway. "I drove here with my lights going and I had to flash my badge a few times but I made it." He explained.

Leon smiled as he looked into the waiting room to Jackson who just stood there looking out the window.

Jackson watched the cars coming and going from the hospital as his thoughts drifted off to moment he had with his son many years ago.

* * *

_From the end of the hallway he saw his son standing to the window looking in unaware that he had arrived. Slowly he made his way over to his son that he rarely spoke to anymore but he had to be here because it was what his wife would have wanted him to do. _

_He didn't look at him or say a word when he stood beside him. For a long while they just stood there looking at the sleeping baby girl on the other side of the glass. _

_Taking his hand he rested it on his sons' shoulder to only notice him tense up once he did. _

_"I don't remember asking you to be here." L.J. said quietly to his father. _

_"I… wanted to. You're mother would hav-"_

_"Don't bring her into this." He said coldly stopping his father from speaking. _

_Removing his hand from his shoulder Jackson took a deep breath. "Son…"_

_L.J. didn't say anything as he continued to watch the little girl sleep. _

_"I know that you don't want me here. I know you hate me for moving on after… your mother died." Jackson looked at the baby girl. "I needed to be here at least just this once for your mother and … you. I did some things that I know you hated, said some things too… but Leroy I still love you, you're my son." He looked at the quiet man standing beside him who was watching the little girl sleep. _

_Taking a breath he nodded knowing he wasn't wanted here. "You do the opposite of everything that I have done… you'll be a great father." He told his son as he walked away._

_Halfway down the hall he was stopped hearing his son speak._

_"Her name is… Kelly." L.J. said quietly._

_Looking back one last time his eyes filled with tears. "You be a better father than I ever was." He told his son. _

_L.J. looked at him and quietly nodded. _

* * *

Taking a deep breath he let go of that memory as he could only imagine how things could have been for them today. They were closer in the past few years then they ever were so he knew things would have been different but one thing would remain the same, his son would have been a better father than he ever was.

"Jack, are you alright?" Ducky said quietly.

"Fine" He assured his friend.

For a moment they looked at each other quietly both thinking about the man that wasn't here with them today.

"Tony's coming!" Tim said as he left the door way and went running up to meet his friend.

They all exited the waiting room while they watched Tony and McGee in the hallway.

"Tony?" McGee asked worriedly.

He smiled at his friend. "I'm trying not cry." He admitted to his friend.

"Is he here?" Tim asked quietly.

"Yeah" Tony breathed as he blinked away the tears that were filling his eyes. "Abby's fine the little guy is cute." He told his friend as he walked by heading toward Jackson.

"So?" Fornell asked.

"Pretty blue eyes, looks like he was born to give head slaps." Tony replied.

Fornell smiled.

"Abby?" Ducky asked.

"She's fine, she's with Carol and they took the little guy to get cleaned up." He replied as he looked at Jackson.

"You wanna go meet your grandson?" Tony asked Jackson who was at a lost for words.

All the old man could do was nod as he carefully followed the younger man down the hall toward Abby and the brand new life she had brought into this world.

* * *

The nurse smiled as she wiped him down and made sure that the newborn was healthy.

"Here take him while I go get his blanket." She said handing over the baby to the nurse in scrubs standing behind her.

Dr. Williams came in smiling as she looked at the baby the nurse was carrying.

"There's our little guy, happy birthday." She said smiling as she discarded her gloves while the other nurse came back with the blanket for the baby.

"Well, I hope she doesn't mind her little guy wrapped up in green blanket." She said smiling. "Okay hand him over."

She waited but the nurse in scrubs seemed to be entranced by his blue eyes that were looking back at the person holding him.

"Come on, baby has to go back to his mommy." She smiled as she took the baby and began to wrap him up.

"Don't worry you'll get use to this." Dr. Williams told her awe stricken nurse who watched as the other nurse left with the baby in hand.

* * *

"Remind me never to arm wrestle with you." Tony teased as he stood at the end of the bed rubbing his hand.

Abby smiled at him. "Sorry"

Tony was going to speak but was stopped when the nurse came walking in carrying the little bundle that they were all waiting for.

"Here's baby." She said softly as she headed over to Abby.

"No, give him to grandpa first." She said quietly.

Jackson looked at her. "You sure?"

This was the first time any of them would ever hold this little guy and out of everyone she wanted him to hold the little baby bundled up in the light green blanket.

"Yeah, I'm sure." She said quietly.

Swallowing the lump in his throat he held out his arms as the nurse handed him his grandson.

Tears filling her eyes she watched as Jackson held his grandson for the very first time. Tony looked away from the scene as his tears filled his eyes knowing just how much this moment both hurt and mended their hearts. Jackson saw those eyes he once saw many years ago in the little boy he once held in arms back then. He loved this little baby a little bit more because now he was holding the light that had filled his dark world since that day many months ago.

Turning away from Jackson she looked down at the Yoshi that sat beside her on the bed wearing those dog tags that she was never without. Picking up the toy she looked at it as it brought a smile to her face and a thought to her mind.

* * *

_She walked into kitchen trying not to laugh while he followed her. _

_"Abbs, come on give me the keys." He begged._

_"I don't have it." She said pouring herself coffee. _

_"You're a horrible liar." He said standing next to her. _

_Smiling she turned to face him. "What's the problem, Special Agent Gibbs?" She asked amused. _

_"The problem is this." He said lifting his arm up. _

_There was the Yoshi handcuffed around its neck while the other cuff was on his wrist. _

_She laughed looking at him. "What's so wrong with that?" _

_Trying not to laugh he began to explain. "We'll some time this morning I swore I was falling asleep still handcuffed to you and I wake up and I'm handcuffed to this… thing." _

_She giggled while she watched him examine the stuff toy that he was cuffed to. "I just thought he wanted to spend time with… daddy." She said walking by him. _

_Turning around he watched her head over the couch in the living room. "Daddy?"_

_Smiling she looked over her cup of coffee as he walked into the living room shirtless, dog tags hanging around his neck, wearing jeans and the stuff toy hanging from his wrist._

_"You must have been pretty tired if you didn't know I cuffed him to you." She said setting her coffee down. _

_Smiling he sat down next to her. "Yeah, well… you were asleep before I was." He jabbed back. _

_She laughed as she reached into her pocket pulling out the set of keys._

_He held his arm out to her as she took off the cuffs from his wrists. "Told you, you're a horrible liar." _

_"Shut up, you're a horrible lover." She replied only to be left screaming as he lunged at her. _

_Laughing he settled on top of her as she gripped his tags that hung around his neck. Smiling she draped her legs around his waist until he was completely wrapped up by her. _

_"You must have a thing for this horrible lover that you keep coming back for more?" He whispered. _

_"Oh, hush it gunny." She giggled._

_"That's a scary thought." He said as he pulled back to look down at her._

_"What, being a horrible lover?" She asked. _

_He shook his head. "No… you being a mom."_

_"What's so scary about that?" She said looking up at him. _

_"You would probably have a little vampire that has a bottle filled with Caf-Pow every day." He teased. _

_Laughing she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Hey, horrible lover… love me before we go to work." She said pulling him down toward her. _

_He smiled looking down at her. "If I am so horrible why do you scream my name?" He asked. _

_"Hey, a girl can act can she?" She teased. _

_Raising an eyebrow he leaned in and bit her neck that caused her screams to fill the house. _

* * *

She smiled looking at the stuff toy in her hands realizing that that's what he was laughing about when she tried to place that memory she had many months ago. She giggled to herself realizing he bit her neck then like a vampire not knowing that he would be a the father to her child that he teased her about months before.

Taking a deep breath she looked back over at Jackson who had handed her baby over to Tony while Carol was watching standing beside her.

It was nearly a year now that he was gone and still her memories made it feel like was still there with her. A part of her still hoped that one day he would come home and be the father he would have loved to be again. While the other part of her knew that he wasn't going to come home no matter how much she wished it and that her baby would never be held by his father.

Tony walked up to her as he carefully handed her the little bundle. Her breath shook nervously because this was going to be the first time she would ever hold her son and from this moment on he would always be her baby and she would forever be his mother.

"Hi, baby" She breathed as she looked down at him.

Her eyes filled with tears seeing those familiar blue eyes looking back at her.

"I'm your mommy?" Her voice cracked.

Carol wiped her tears as she watched her friend hold her baby for the very first time.

Tony stood by the door sniffing back his own tears as he and Jackson left the room leaving the new mother with her baby.

Her hands drifted down his face and to his tiny hands that made her finger look so huge next to them. She smiled through her tears as she held his hands while thinking about just how his fathers' hands felt when he held hers. His hands were to tiny to feel like daddy's but none the less she couldn't help but remember those moments she took for granted so many times.

"I'll be back later." Carol told her.

She nodded while she was still captivated by the little life she held in her hands that gave her a reason to live on the darkest day of her entire life.

"Okay, mommy I have one question then you don't have to hear from me for a while." The nurse said as she approached with a clip board. "What's his name?"

Sniffing back her tears she looked at her baby thinking about the name she had picked the day she found out she was going to have a son.

"Lukas, with a_ 'k'_… Lukas Jackson Gibbs." She whispered.

"L.J. Gibbs sounds like a perfect name." She smiled as she gave the new mother one more look before leaving the room.

Hearing the door close she looked at her son as her tears streamed down her face while she picked up the Yoshi that sat next to her.

"This Yoshi…" She whispered. "He's yours."

She shut her eyes while the tears fell from her face.

Taking a breath she opened them to see his beautiful blue eyes focus in the direction of the toy she held.

"Your daddy got this for me a long time ago." She smiled watching him move his little hand to his mouth. "I still don't know how I'm going to take care of you but you have a lot of uncles and grandpa's, even a crazy little aunt that will help me. You don't know just how much you saved me." She whispered feeling here breath shake. "Just like your dad you saved me. He's not here but you're going to know him. I'm going to tell you everything about him. Like how much he loved to build things, how much he would have rather gone fishing than anything else and how much you remind me of him. You're going to know you're daddy just like he was here with us okay?" She said softly while she wiped her tears from her eyes.

The toy she held in her hands was nearly as big as he was and the tags that hung around it's neck looked so big compared to his tiny hands.

Leaning in she kissed her son for the first time and whispered.

"I love you… L.J."

TBC...

* * *

**~*Drop A Review - I'll Drop A Chapter.*~**

**Next Chapter: "Never Say Never"**

"This even made me shed a tear or two - whoa. Sorry, this story just has that  
effect. The memory she finally placed is the memory she had back in chapter 2 in case you were wondering."

-The Gabby Effect-


	9. Never Say Never

***Thanks for reading/reviewing & F/F this FF.  
Here is the next chapter.* - TGE**

* * *

**Never Say Never**

The days, weeks and now the months that followed that special day were some of the most precious and difficult times she had ever gone through. There were times she didn't know what to do or how to handle a situation that came from raising a baby alone. She had called her friends in the middle of the night but most of the time she couldn't ask for help even though she needed it.

Tony was always there and he didn't mind at all sleeping countless nights on the couch that he was so use to now. There were times he didn't know what to do so as usual he called McGee and when that didn't work Dr. Mallard was a phone call away. Together they all helped her even when she couldn't ask for it they were right there to aid her even if it was just so that she could sleep.

Her brother Luka was all but thrilled and honored that his nephew was named after him even Jackson was happy that his namesake was the most precious thing to him. Together they helped her the best way they could even though at times they couldn't be there physically.

* * *

There was so much she had to learn and so much she worried about over these past few months and today was her day off so she happily took it. Taking her son out for the day and just leaving the city behind without telling anyone where they would be.

She sat on the steps to the cabin while her son enjoyed exploring the outdoors. She smiled watching him walk through the pine cones and inspect everything that moved. He had just learned how to walk so his tiny legs weren't yet strong enough to wonder far from his mother so he stayed close playing beside her.

Quietly, she watched him play while she heard that familiar voice in her head.

_He really loves this place doesn't he?_

Smiling she heard the voice she would never forget no matter how long it had been since she last heard it.

"Yeah" She breathed. "I think he likes this almost as much as home." She said quietly.

_Could you blame him? I mean this is where I would take off with you, too._

She giggled at that thought. "More like stealing me." She smiled.

_Remember the time we went fishing here?_

"I remember... but I don't think that was fishing." She said looking at the lake through the pines.

* * *

_His arm hung over the small boat feeling the cool water while the sun beat down on them. Lying on his back his cap covered his face as her head rested on his shoulder. _

_"How long has it been?" She asked listening to his heart beat. _

_"Since you lost the pole or since we lost the paddles?" He asked half asleep. _

_She pinched his side making him twitch. "I lost the pole because you scared me and the paddles were your fault."_

_He chuckled as he took a handful of water and splashed her making her laugh._

_"How was losing the paddles, my fault?" He replied. _

_Wiping the droplets of water from her face she giggled. "You were the one who left them so close to the edge and when you fell over they went into the water." _

_"I fell over because someone pushed me that's why I'm still lying here." He said lifting the cap off his face. _

_"I pushed you because you scared me so that makes losing the pole and paddles your fault." She said looking up at him. _

_He smiled at her. "In my defense I didn't know that saying there was a snake on the line would scare you so much."_

_"It creep me out." She said lightly hitting him. _

_"You had no problem with the worms." He told her. _

_"It's a snake Gibbs, a snake could be venomous." She said crawling up until she was half on top of him. _

_"Well, if it bit you I wouldn't mind sucking the venom out." He smiled up at her. _

_"You know that doesn't actually work right?" She beamed at him. _

_"Yeah, but it doesn't hurt to try." He said pulling her down to him. _

_They lay there in a boat without paddles going fishing without a pole only sharing kisses under the sun that shined a little brighter for them. There wasn't anything else they would rather be doing than just being together in this peaceful moment not carrying if they ever made it back to shore because as long as they were together nothing else mattered, not even the fish._

* * *

Yoshi hitting her snapped her out of her day dream.

"Jacky" She giggled as she looked at her son as she picked up the stuffed toy he had thrown at her.

His dark hair only made his blue eyes looking more beautiful she thought to herself as he came shuffling toward her while trying to speak. She laughed listening to his babble picking him up and sitting him on her lap as he reached for necklace that hung around her neck.

"That's daddy's… remember mommy told you about him." She told him quietly even though he looked like he wasn't listening at all because he was more interested with playing with tags.

"He loved this place as much as you do… as much as I do too." She said looking around. "You know the first time he brought me here it was snowing." She smiled at that memory. "Maybe I'll keep that memory to myself." She said as she leaned in kissing her sons' cheek.

His little hands fumbling with the tags around her neck she couldn't help but wonder all over again just how things would be different if he was here. He probably would have loved the fact that his son loved being outside just like him. There were so much alike that everything he did reminded her of the marine that never came home. There were still nights she cried herself to sleep when she was home alone with her son. Times when she wanted to hear him whisper 'good morning' to her after a long night but still she woke up without him but she was never alone not since her son came into her world.

She watched her son grow up everyday and everyday she wished he was there to see something new that he did. It was a bittersweet life she lived everyday without him because everyday she was happy that she had her son but a part of her always longed for the father he would never meet.

Taking the stuff toy from his mothers hand he wanted to be let down to explore again and she let him. She cherished every single moment with her son but deep inside she still dreaded the day that he would ask who and where his father was. A million times she wondered what she would say and million times she didn't have a clue. She hoped that her stories of him would be enough for him to know that his father loved him even though he never met him and that they would be enough to answer any questions that he about his dad.

Looking down at the tags her eyes focused on the ring that hung with them. Smiling she took off her necklace as she took slid the ring off the chain. This was a ring she swore she would never wear and not once did she ever put it on staying true to her words. A promise to herself that she lived by every single day since the time she lay crying on the couch with that folded flag.

Hearing her son laugh while playing with his toy that his father had won for her she smiled. Her life had changed completely and Jack playing with that Yoshi and the tags she held in her hands reminded her of that. She looked at that ring replaying that moment he gave it to her one more time in her mind.

* * *

_She could feel him watching her as she woke. _

_"I can feel you staring." She mumbled with her eyes still closed. _

_He didn't say anything causing her to open her sleepy eyes. _

_"Morning" He said softly as her eyes met his. _

_She giggled burying her face into the pillow._

_He listened to her laugh that he loved so much and took in the sight of her with her hair undone flowing around her beautiful face. He never told her but he loved her even more when her pigtails were undone and her make-up was gone because she was even more beautiful though she didn't think so. _

_These past few months had been the best months of his life and who could have ever guessed that he would fall in love like this again. If someone had told him that he would be giving her a ring asking her to spend the rest of her life with him he would probably would have slapped them upside their heads. _

_She rolled on her side facing him seeing his beautiful eyes looking back at her not knowing that he loved to watch her sleep. She was about to speak when he placed that ring on the pillow between them. She had to blink a few times to make sure that she was seeing what she was really seeing. Left speechless she couldn't look away from that ring that lay between them. _

_His eyes on the girl who had her eyes fixated on the ring he placed between them he took a deep breath._

_"Abbs…" He whispered._

_ She tore her eyes away from that ring._

_Looking into her eyes he spoke softly. _

_"I love you, Abby. I always have and I always will… before you ask, yes, I'm sure."_

_She took a deep breath. _

_"You can take all the time you need or ask your heart if it's ready, do anything, but just don't say… no." He said as he looked at her. _

_"Gibbs" She breathed but she was prevented from speaking as he pressed his finger against her lips. _

_"I don't mind waiting for your answer even if it takes the rest of our lives as long as you don't say no. You're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with… this isn't about you having my last name." He smiled. "This is about me being yours and you being mine for the rest of our lives and something tells me you'll love me long after I'm gone."_

* * *

Her shuddering breath and the lone tear that fell from her eyes she let that memory fade.

Looking at the ring she smiled knowing that he was right, she still loved him even after he was gone. Wiping her tear she looked at their son playing with the stuff toy that the marine sniper easily won for her. She had told herself months ago that she would never wear this ring but that memory changed her mind. Today she would be his until her dying day and perhaps even beyond that.

Taking a breath she slid that ring on her finger, something he should have done but sitting here at the cabin she didn't mind because something told her he was always with her.

Getting up she dusted off her pants and picked up her son.

"Come on, Jacky let's go home." She whispered kissing his forehead.

With one last look at the ring on her finger she thought to herself…

_never say never._

TBC...

* * *

**~*Drop A Review - I'll Drop A Chapter.*~**

**Next Chapter: "Hinky"**

_"Aww..."  
-The Gabby Effect-_


	10. Hinky

***It's been awhile but finally here's the next chapter.  
Sorry but I'm finally back to my FF. I hope you're still  
following this story. Thanks for your reviews BTW!* - TGE**

* * *

**HINKY**

_Three years later..._

It was early when Tony came walking up to the door and for a moment he stopped hearing Jacky laughing and screaming. With a smile on his face he entered the house even though he didn't want to interrupt whatever was happening in the living room.

"Knock – Knock" He said as he shut the door behind him.

"Uncle Tony!" Jack screamed as he came running over with a Superman cape on and jumped into his arms with a bright grin on his face.

Tony chuckled and looked at the little boy he held in his arms. "Wow, Jacky I think you nearly flew there."

"Yeah, cus' my daddy's Superman." He happily told his uncle.

Abby came out of the kitchen. "Who told you that?" She asked.

"Uncle T-"

"McGee did." Tony blurted out.

Placing her hands on her hips she glared at her friend. _"Tony"_

"Probie didn't tell me you did, Tony." Jack said to Tony who was trying his best to smile at Abby.

Tony nervously chuckled as he looked at Abby. "He's lying."

Abby shook her head as she returned to the kitchen. "He's like his mother Tony, he doesn't lie."

"Traitor" Tony whispered to Jack who only smiled back at him while they followed his mom into the kitchen.

"His bag is packed and his puffs are in there just in case." Abby said pulling a juice box out from the fridge.

Jack watched his mother put his juice into his bag. "Mom, can I have one more?" He asked.

Abby looked at him. "Jacky, you had one a while ago and…" She trailed off as she looked at Tony. "Ok, I'm going to put two more in there only because I'm scared of what Tony might you give you." She said walking back to the fridge.

Tony chuckled. "Come on' I know what I'm doing."

Abby huffed. "Like last week when you lost him at the Navy Yard?"

Laughing Tony replied. "First of all, he wasn't lost he was with the Director."

"Leon was with him because he found him playing near the elevator." Abby shot back at him.

"Uncle Tony was talking to a girl mommy." Jack said not knowing he was made it worse.

Abby raised her eyebrow. "Now I'm worried. What if you get distracted by another woman? I mean I was gone for only half an hour when Leon ended up watching him while you were trying to get your game on."

Tony shook his head and smiled. "Abby don't worry I'm gonna be with McGee plus Jimmy, Ducky and Vance are coming over too." He assured her.

"Yeah, mommy probie will look out for me." Jack told his mother.

Giggling Abby shook her head. "Great now you have him calling McGee probie."

Tony walked over and picked up Jacks bag. "Abby enjoy your day with Carol. This Gibblet will be just fine with me and if I need help or if anything comes up I'll call you know I will. Plus, I'll keep ya posted on everything that we're doing okay?"

Walking over to Tony and her son Abby took a deep breath. "Okay, I just hate being apart from him."

"Mama, don't worry." Jack assured his mom who smiled back at him and kissed him goodbye.

Looking at Tony she narrowed her eyes. "If anything should happen to him…"

"You won't leave a trace of evidence, I know." Tony smiled as he turned at left with Jack back his place.

"TONY!" Abby called out.

"Car seat, I know!" He yelled back.

Hearing the door shut Abby took a deep breath knowing that she did promise a day out with Carol but being without her son for a few hours or more was still hard to do even though she had him for just a little over three years now. Taking a deep breath she headed upstairs to get ready before Carol came over and picked her up.

* * *

**Later that afternoon...**

Tony sat to his table while McGee and Jimmy were playing a video game in his living room with Jack happily watching. He smiled at the sight of the little boy smiling because there was something about that smile that reminded him of someone… someone he still missed.

"You okay?" Leon asked taking a seat across him.

Taking a breath he turned his attention to his boss. "Yeah, just thinking." He replied.

"I do that a lot when I see that little guy." Leon said looking at his drink in his hand.

"I still can't believe it's been almost four years now. It still doesn't feel real… you know?" Tony said quietly.

"Yeah" Leon breathed.

Ducky approached the table hearing the topic of their conversation.

Tony slightly shook his head. "For the past 2 years I've found myself looking at that report when it comes close to that… to that day." He admitted to his friends.

Ducky looked at the young agent. "Anthony it's okay to feel the way you do." He assured his friend.

"I don't think Abby could have survived if it wasn't for Jack. I don't think I could have gone on if it wasn't for him too." He said quietly as he looked at the little boy having fun with Jimmy and McGee.

"I don't think Jack knows just how much he has helped all of us." Ducky replied.

Leon chuckled. "He's so much like his father sometimes and for me that's enough."

Tony smiled. "On our way here I looked at the clouds and I said _'looks like it's gonna rain'_ and he says '_ya think Tony'_." Shaking his head Antony laughed. "If he said 'DiNozzo' I probably would have started to cry or something."

"When he kisses his mother on the cheek I see his father." Ducky said quietly.

Taking a deep breath Tony looked at Vance. "I can't help but think that what we know isn't the whole story."

Leon narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I think what's in the report you gave me isn't everything. Since I read it things just didn't feel right to me. I'm not saying you're the one keeping things from us but did you ever read that report?" He asked his friends.

"Of course." Vance replied.

Ducky nodded.

"I don't know how many times I've read it." Tony said getting up.

Leon and Donald watched him open a drawer and pull out a folder and returned to the table.

"Did you really read it?" He asked again.

"Anthony, we read it years ago and if there was something that wasn't right I'm sure we all could've seen it." Dr. Mallard told the young man.

Shaking his head Tony pointed at the folder. "I thought the same thing at that time. I was in shock from losing my best friend and maybe that prevented me from really reading it. About a year later I read it again that's when I saw something maybe it's nothing but something isn't right." He said opening the folder and sliding it across to Director Vance.

"Tony, I've read this too. There's nothing-"

"Read this." Tony said flipping the pages and pointing at a sentence that was circled.

Taking breath Leon read it out loud. "… after securing the location CIA operatives confirmed that the…" Vance trailed off.

Tony looked at Ducky. "I would like to know what the CIA was doing there."

Vance shook his head. "This means nothing. The CIA is always apart of something whether we know it or not. They were probably just in the area."

Shaking his head Tony flipped the pages. "Okay, putting my CIA theory aside what about this?"

Leon looked at the time Tony was pointing at.

Tony saw the puzzled looked on Leon's face. "Given the time difference if this time was the correct one that means you knew about Gibbs being gone way before they did. If this is the correct time you should have found out… that night or early the next morning our time." Tony pointed out.

Ducky leaned in reading the time on the file. "Anthony it's probably a typo." He suggested.

Chuckling Tony shook his head. "I can't believe you guys." He replied annoyed.

McGee walked in and noticed how the mood was different. "Everything okay?"

Ignoring McGee Ducky looked at Tony. "Tony, I know that you don't want to believe what happen really happened but I don't think you should dig into this. It will only hurt you more if you find out it means nothing or if it was a typo."

"But what if it's not?" Tony asked.

Leon looked at the time again. "It's a typo, it has to be. There's no way-"

"What's going on?" McGee asked approaching the table and interrupting their discussion.

Ducky sighed as he looked at McGee. "Anthony thinks that the report surrounding Jethro isn't entirely forth coming."

"That's putting it mildly." Tony replied to Ducky.

"Are you still on that?" Tim asked looking at Tony.

"You knew about this?" Vance asked Timothy.

"Yeah, I even got him another copy of the report." He informed his boss.

"And?" Donald asked.

"And it didn't match the ones we got." Tony said getting up and pulling another file from the drawer.

Vance watched his agent place another folder on the table. "Tony this is-"

"Crazy?" Tony chuckled. "Maybe but if you look at this you might not think that I am."

"What do you mean?" Ducky asked.

Tim looked the ME. "He means this report doesn't match the ones we have. I told him it was nothing but he won't let up."

"You never thought that maybe the Corps or who ever gave us the information could be lying?" Tony said looking at the men gathered around the table.

Taking a deep breath Dr. Mallard shook his head. "Tony, I understand that what happened still bothers you. It bothers me every time I see that little guy in there; it bothers me when I see Abby but what happened cannot be undone by prying into something that should just be left alone."

"Do you know what this could do to Abby if she found out what you're suggesting?" Leon asked.

"I told him that." McGee told him.

"Tony this would open up wounds that nearly killed that poor girl." Donald replied.

"I'm not trying to bring up something painful for her… she doesn't need to know. All I'm saying is why do you think these files don't match?" Tony pressed.

"Okay, I'll bite… what's the difference between this report and the one I gave you." Vance said.

Tony smiled. "The difference is in this file that McGee got me has all those 'typos' fixed and the mention of the CIA is gone. According to my sources the CIA was never there, the only time they are mentioned is in the first report we all got. It was like they rushed it and forgot to cover their tracks."

"It could mean nothing at all Tony." Vance said hoping that Tony would just stop pressing the issue.

"I never wanted to ask this but I'm curious, did you see him… did any of you see him?" Tony asked his friends.

For a moment they all didn't say a word.

"Ducky you have top clearance and you're a ME isn't it weird that you never over saw anything? You were there with Kate, Jenny even with Mike Franks but not this why?" Tony asked.

The ME shook his head. "This was different." He replied quietly.

"Maybe someone was counting on that… counting on the fact that any of us couldn't allow our selves to see him." DiNozzo suggested.

"What are you suggesting?" Leon asked.

"At the moment I'm suggesting that there's something going on and maybe it's far to late now but I mean Jack is turning four in a few months… what are we going to wait until he's in high school to finally try and figure out why things don't match here." Tony asked pointed at the folders on the table.

Vance looked at the boy seated on Palmer's lap. Deep down there was still that guilt that told him it was because of him that that little boy had to grow up without a father. He still blamed himself for the incident that took his best friend away but even now he knew there was nothing he couldn't do about it. These files could be nothing but Tony was a good investigator and maybe this was one way of redeeming himself from the decision that he made years ago.

"I'll do it." He said quietly.

"Director?" Ducky said half shocked.

Taking a breath he looked back at Tony. "If it's nothing we leave it alone and move on."

Tony nodded in agreement.

"You can't be serious, Leon. It's been years what could we possibly do now that we couldn't then?" Ducky asked Vance.

"Well doctor, I think it's time we question everything and keep rule 18 in mind." He replied.

Tony smiled. "It's better to seek forgiveness than ask permission."

McGee smiled while Ducky took a breath and looked at Jack laughing with Jimmy. "Oh hell, I think it's a bad idea but okay I'm in."

"… and you probie?" Tony asked.

Tim looked at the folders on the table. "I always cared about Abby and I'll always care about Jack… I am willing to do anything for them. Gibbs meant a lot to us but he meant the world to her so count me in. Whether it's nothing I'm in, but we can't let them know what we're up to." McGee said looking at Tony.

"We're gonna need a code word." Tony thought out loud.

"A what?" Leon asked.

McGee smiled. "Ooh, Operation Sawdust."

"That's good McGee but Abby will figure that out." Tony said.

Ducky shook his head. "I can't believe we're doing this."

Tony shut his eyes. "Operation… operation Sawdust …"

"Operation Sierra 3." Vance told them.

Opening his eyes he looked at his Leon. "Sierra 3?" Tony asked.

Leon smiled. "Sierra for Sawdust and 3 for rule 3."

_"_Don't believe what you're told. Double check." Tony chuckled. "I love it."

McGee smiled. "Sierra 3 it is now what do we do now?"

"First we have to figure why things are so… so." Tony tried to think about the word.

"Hinky" Leon filled in.

Tony nodded. "Yes, first we figure out why things are so hinky."

In the silence that followed their conversation they all couldn't believe that they were actually questioning official reports that they were given. Whatever the reasons were that they didn't add up they weren't sure of just yet, but how much they all cared about Abby and her son they weren't going to give up until they double checked everything. Perhaps this was nothing like Dr, Mallard and Director Vance suggested but maybe there was something hidden behind the little information that Anthony had questioned for years. It might have been to late to change what happened but if this was a lie they were now more that ever determined to find the truth all for that girl and the little boy the marine had left behind.

_TBC..._

* * *

**~*Drop A Review - I'll Drop A Chapter.*~**

**Next Chapter: "Letting Go"**

_"I know it's been over a month since my last chapter but I hope you like this."_

_The Gabby Effect  
_


	11. Letting Go

***I'm happy you're still following, Thanks for the reviews.  
Sorry, about all tears in the beginning of the story.  
Now, lets have another ride on this roller coaster shall we?* - TGE**

* * *

**Letting Go**

McGee walked into the lab to find Abby on her cell phone pacing nervously and didn't seem to notice him standing there with a cup of her Caf-Pow!.

Nibbling on her bottom lip the look of worry was undoubtedly splashed across her face. For a moment she stopped and took a breath. "Okay, and I can you give you that list this afternoon right?" She asked whom ever she was speaking with.

Tim watched her nod and continued her pacing as he stood next to her work station patiently waiting for her to end her conversation.

"When would he… really?" She bit her bottom lip. "That's really soon, um… okay… I'll see you Monday." She finished her call.

Putting her phone away she looked at Tim. "McGee, hold me." She begged as she walked over to her friend.

Without hesitation he took her in his arms. "What's going on?" He asked.

Taking a deep breath she gripped him tighter. "Jacky… Jacky starts daycare or pre-school… ahh, I forgot what I signed him up for McGee."

McGee couldn't help but laugh.

Pulling back from him she looked at him with tears in her eyes that made him stop laughing. "It no funny Tim, my son is leaving and…" She took a breath as she wiped her tears before they fell.

Biting back a chuckled he pulled her into his arms once again. "Its okay Abby, it's not like he's leaving for college or starting high school." He assured her.

Gasping she pulled away from him with an even more worried look. "Oh my god… high school then college, sports and girlfriends." She nervously shook her head. "McGee I can't do this." She said as she walked away toward her office.

Smiling Tim followed her. "Abby"

"No, don't try and tell me it's going to be okay." She replied taking a seat to her desk.

"Abby" He said softly.

"My baby is growing up and there's nothing I can do about it." She said looking at a form on her desk.

"Abby, it really is going to be okay, okay? He's going to be fine and knowing him… he's gonna have a blast doing something new and meeting kids his age." He assured her kneeling down next to her.

Taking her eyes away from the piece of paper she looked at her friend. "It's just he's my baby, McGee. He means the world to me. When I'm at work I call Carol to see if he's fine and when I'm not working I'm never without him and this weekend when Tony took him I felt incomplete."

Tim smiled at her. "It's normal okay. Jacky is growing up and you have this job that you love and Carol's work schedule is changing so we all knew this day would eventually come."

"I did some investigating on this school slash daycare and they seemed really good and the people that work there all check out." She told him.

Raising an eyebrow he looked at her. "Don't' tell me you did a background check on everyone there."

She gave him smile that made him chuckle.

"If they check out, why are you so worried, they're good people right?" He asked.

"Yeah, they're good people. McGee I hate being alone." She admitted quietly.

Reaching out he gripped her hand. "You're not alone Abby."

"I know I always have you guys and Jacky and I are very lucky to have you all in our lives but… even when I'm with my baby I still feel alone. It felt worse when I dropped off his application." She said as she pulled her hand away from his.

Unable to say a word he watched her silently.

"McGee… there were mom's and dad's there together enrolling their kids and I – I…" Taking a deep breath she looked back him. "This isn't the only thing I'll be doing alone. There's school, school events, parent teacher things, high school and not to mention sports. Everything he should have his mom and dad there for and he won't…"

"He'll have you, Abby. He'll always have you." He assured her.

"I'm happy for what you and Tony do for him, but McGee I know once he starts, he's going to question what happened to his dad. He knows his dad is gone but I'm not sure if he really understands what that means." She said quietly looking at him. "That question I've been dreading is coming I know it and I still don't have a clue how to answer him."

"Abby, you've told him about his dad for the past few years and so did we. He's a smart boy I'm sure he knows and if not, you're not in it alone okay? Like I said, you have us and even though we're not the one you need during times like this, we're still here so don't think your truly alone… because you're not." McGee said placing his hand on her shoulder.

Silently she nodded.

"Now, before you freak out again can you tell me about what you found?" He said softly.

"Yeah," She replied with an assuring smile that for the moment she was fine.

* * *

**Later that afternoon…**

Tony hung up the phone with a huge grin. "Well, that's metro police's case now." He told McGee who was lost in his monitor.

"Good." Tim mumbled as he continued to type.

Curious about what Tim was doing Tony got up and joined his partner. "What are you doing?"

"Abby has Jacky starting school slash daycare on Monday so I'm just checking the place out." He replied.

Tony chuckled. "Jacky starting school? Say it isn't so."

"Yup, seems more like a pre-school from the looks of it." McGee said as he scrolled the website.

"Wow, so how is Abby about all this?" DiNozzo asked.

McGee chuckled. "Let's just say the less caffeine she takes in the better off she'll be for the next-"

"Eighteen years." Tony laughed.

Smiling Tim looked at Tony. "You really want to see Abby without Caf-Pow! again?"

Tony shook his head. "Oh, don't remind me of those scary nine months that Abby was caffeine free she was scary." He said as he walked back to his desk.

"She was filling out a form when I left so that you, I, Jimmy, Ducky and even Director Vance can pick him up if we have to." McGee informed Tony.

Smiling Tony took a seat. "So all of NCIS I see."

"Just about." Tim smiled.

"DiNozzo, McGee!" Vance called out from the top of the stairs that caused the men to get to their feet in an instant.

The agents looked at their boss.

"MTAC" Leon said as he turned and headed for the most secure room in the building.

Sharing glances Tony and McGee quickly made their way up stairs.

* * *

**MTAC**

Entering the dark room they saw Director Vance alone in the room.

"Found something or nothing depending on what you think about it." Vance said as he typed something into the computer on the side of the room.

"What is it?" McGee asked.

"Take a look." Vance said as he backed up from the computer.

The dark room suddenly was lit green from the night vision video streaming and for a moment they all watched the feed until they saw two dots approach the building.

"That's Gibbs and-"

"Lt. Phillips, the guy that was with him." Tony finished for Vance.

Vance looked at the screen as he nodded. "They infiltrated from the west side of the compound, took out seven armed bogeys and here…" Leon said as he speed the video up. "This is about a minute before we lost visual. From the looks of this there was only eight bogeys in the building Gibbs and Phillips took out seven which left-"

"The target" McGee said as he looked at the screen.

"Yeah, and from the communication that I had with Gibbs he only saw him so it's safe to say what we see here is what Gibbs saw. Then we lose the feed." Vance said as the screen went black.

"That's it?" Tony asked.

"Keep watching." The Director replied.

The screen lit up again.

"When was this?" Tim asked as he watched a different feed.

"When we got visual back a few hours later and about the same time I received the call about Gibbs." Taking a breath Vance shook his head. "This shows nothing but the aftermath of what happened and honestly there's nothing on these feeds that show that there was anything _'hinky'_ going on."

"Why did you lose visual?" Tony asked as he watched the screen.

"Signal was too weak and we lost it… before things went from bad to worse my tech tried his hardest to get visual back but there was nothing. Given the fact this wasn't a top priority for our country the feed wasn't as good as we had liked compared to lets say more infamous ops in the past. Then hours later it came back on and that's the feed we are now watching." Leon informed his agents.

"How convenient..." Tony mumbled.

Vance looked at him. "Tony, there's nothing in these videos."

McGee cleared his throat. "Director, do you mind if I look at something?" He asked as he walked over to the computer.

"Sure, but there's nothing there." He reminded his young agent while he and Tony followed.

McGee said nothing as he accessed the computer.

"I am beginning to think that this conspiracy theory of yours isn't what we're hoping for." Director Vance told Tony.

"Conspiracy Theory? I'm not suggesting if our government is holding aliens. I'm wondering if there is something real to this bullshit that we are forced to believe." Tony snapped back his boss.

Facing his agent Leon glared at Tony. "No one is forcing anyone to do anything here, DiNozzo. I accepted what happened, why can't you?"

"Accept this?" Tony said pointing at the computer. "A video feed that mysteriously losses feed on the most important moment of this operation. Files that don't match, a mention of the CIA and then that also mysteriously is fixed. Forgive me director but my _'conspiracy theory'_ just got a little stronger after seeing this. Something crashed and this is the wreckage, what are you going to call it?"

"I'm gonna call this a weather balloon, because I'm the Director of NCIS." Vance replied.

"Really, after seeing all this? Leon I understand what position you're in but-"

"I don't think you do." The Director interrupted. "I'm the Director of a federal agency do you know what could happen if I dig any deeper or if someone gets wind that I'm focusing on an incident from years ago while I have other pressing matters like an entire building that works for me. I have teams out there investigating crimes for the military and their families, not to mention the political games I have to play. I'm in a very difficult position, _yes_, Gibbs was my friend and _yes_, it bothers me that he's not here." Vance stepped closer to DiNozzo. "_I_ made him go, Not you, I did. I was the one who hand picked him… out everyone I picked him you know how that feels? To be the one who put him in that position and then hate yourself, when everything that could go wrong does. Yes, you were there for Abby when her world came crashing down… but you don't know how it feels to be the one who destroyed that world?" His voice shuddered.

Tony looked at his boss who was boiling with emotion in front of him.

"Leon… I-"

"I think I found an alien." McGee said stopping Tony from speaking. "Or a man in black."

Vance and Tony turned away from each other and turned their attention on what McGee was working on.

"What do ya got?" Tony asked.

A grin tugged on Tim's lips realizing just how Tony sounded like Gibbs. "This conspiracy theory is starting to look more and more like we're onto something."

Leaning in Vance examined the computer monitor. "I'd call that a man in black."

"The video feed looks like it just lost signal, it did but it's not what I was expecting." Tim informed them. "Looking at everything it clearly looks like the signal was just lost but when I dug a little deeper it was made lost."

"What?" Tony asked.

"Someone intentionally stopped the feed from coming into MTAC." Tim replied looking over his shoulder at Director Vance.

"The men in black." Leon smiled.

"What?" Tony asked again but now a bit annoyed.

"Tony, look." Tim said pointing at the screen.

DiNozzo's eyes widen and turned to Director Vance. "The FBI?"

* * *

**That evening…**

Sitting in the middle of her bed Abby looked at the Yoshi she was holding. A smile on her lips the memory of how she got this stuffed toy was still fresh in her mind and she hoped that years from now that it still would be.

Taking a breath she looked at it. "It's Friday and on Monday he starts." She said quietly.

The room was quiet.

Looking around her room she looked at the scribbles and finger painting artworks that she had collected over these past years from her son. Her smile fading she looked on her night stand where those dog tags lay.

"I don't think I'm ready to let him go, but… I can't hang onto him forever." She said half to herself and half to the person she still wished was here.

Over these years she wished a million times he was there with her and a million times her wish never came true. She was happy that she made it this far and believed that she could make it for many more years to come. She was a single parent but her friends barely filled that void that was always there even when she told herself it was filled by her son.

Life was happening and time was passing by that made her past further and further away from her, it was that thought that scared her. Would there be a day when she would meet someone again, would she love again and would her memories of her and that marine would fade until she forgot him? He would have wanted her to move on and live again but since he was gone her time and attention was always with her son.

Setting the Yoshi down she looked at the ring on her finger. She would always be his and no matter how long she would live she would never love another ever again. This simple ring brought a phrase to her mind.

_'Til death do us part'_

She was never married to him but if that was true she should move on and love again, but that's not what her heart wanted. Til' death… didn't apply to them at all and right now she was sure of it because even after all this time she still loved him. He was never going to hold her again, never kiss her and never whisper those three little words again but… even in death she was his.

Swallowing the lump in her throat she turned her attention back to the Yoshi sure of one thing. That she would never let go of the memories or the love she had with her marine even though she had to let her son go on Monday even if it was just for a little while. Taking a breath she laid down next to the tiny figure sleeping next to her unaware that across town Tony wasn't letting go of something too.

* * *

**Tony's Apartment...**

Fornell stood in Tony's living room shaking his head.

"You can't be serious?" He said searching the eyes of the agent.

"I am" Tony breathed.

Chuckling Fornell walked over to the scotch sitting on the counter in the kitchen.

"I need a drink." He mumbled as he picked up the glass.

Following Fornell Tony sat down at the table. "So are you in?"

Holding up a finger Fornell downed the scotch quickly hoping it would take effect.

"So…?" Tony asked again.

Taking a seat at the table Tobias cleared his throat. "Let me get this straight. You're all in this together including Director Vance?"

"Yeah, so are you in?"

"It's been four years, why now?" The FBI agent asked.

"For three of those years we were all distracted by helping Abby with Jack and making sure that they're fine and now that they are… I think it's time we find out what really happened." Tony replied.

"Right… and what do you think _really_ happened?" Fornell asked with a hint of a smile on lips because he still couldn't believe this.

"That's what we're trying to find out and we need your help." Tony said smiling back at him.

"Are you suggesting that Jethro is alive?"

Tony took a breath. "I'm just sa-"

"Because you do know there was service right?"

"Right but I'm-"

"They wouldn't do that, if there wasn't someone to bur-"

Tony groaned. "Fornell, I'm not saying that at all."

"Just so we're clear we're not chasing the possibility that Jethro is alive, right?" Fornell asked as the need for another glass of scotch filled him.

"I know he's gone… if he wasn't he would have done everything to come back to Abby. I'm at peace with that but I'm not at peace with being lied to." Tony told Fornell.

Taking a breath Fornell looked at the agent across him. "I'm not saying I'm in but besides files not matching, a mention of the CIA that was or wasn't there and a video feed that was lost what else do you have?" Tobias asked still unsure of whether this op was worth joining or not.

Tony smiled. "Today, when we were looking at the video feed McGee did is thing and he found something."

"Which would be?"

"The video feed that was coming into MTAC that day someone made sure that the feed was lost." Tony replied with smirk on his face.

"Let me guess CIA?" Fornell smiled back.

"FBI" Tony happily replied.

Fornell frowned. "What?"

"The Federal Bureau of Investigation… The F. B. I." DiNozzo said seeing the look on the senior agent go from shock to confusion.

"Can't be." Tobias breathed.

"Oh but it is. Now, we can't go digging into what you do at The Hoover building without someone noticing but you can. So, I'm going to ask again… are you in?" Tony smiled.

Tobias took a deep breath as he realized that maybe this was an op he wanted and needed to be apart of. "You're not going to let this go are you?" He asked.

Tony shook his head. "The last thing I'm going to do about _all_ this … is letting go."

"Well…" Fornell smiled at Tony. "…operation Sierra 3 has new member."

Tony smiled. "Now, let's find out what really happened… shall we?"

TBC…

* * *

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**Next Chapter: "The Men In Black"**

"I hope you enjoyed this chapter and forgive me my inner geek  
just had to toss a few hints about Roswell in there."  
- The Gabby Effect -


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